“Damn…Hah…Hah…” A tear welled up in her eye from the pain. ‘C’mon Jeanne! You got this! Just a simple…Giant…Spine stuck in your arm!’
’Come on out birdy…’ thought Nema as his eyes were opened wide, looking to the far building. The Ledge of the Roof was too tall for him to see the Woman on the other side. Yet still, he held his aim true, cheeks puffed full of air as his bottom lip was curled around the end of the bamboo. He was well regarded as the best when it came to long drawn-out periods of time. He had once been hired to take out a well-known Queen and stayed in the same spot waiting for the perfect moment for over two days straight with no food or water. If it was a waiting game, he was going to win.
Jeanne on the other hand had no time to waste. She knew that activating her Logia abilities wouldn’t heal her injuries, but they could help her in this situation. As She gripped her shoulder she slowly turned her arm to steam, her entire limb becoming an intangible cloud roughly shaped in the form of her arm, the Spine clattered to the floor. ‘Now I don’t have to worry about causing any more damage to myself by pulling it out…’
Her arm reformed back to normal, blood beginning to pump through her arm and began to flow through the wound once more as it took shape. She opened her satchel and immediately spotted what she needed. Pristine white Bandages, Courtesy of the Ships very own Doctor. ‘Thanks to Kále and Leroy, I’ve had plenty of Practice patching up.’ Jeanne wrapped her shoulder in the bandage tightly, a small stain of red spreading through its fabric as she used her teeth to rip the Bandage quickly. ‘I’ll have to see if Dezzi can give me some more proper treatment once this is all over!’
’Now…Where is he…’ She turned her head and looked to where she’d been spotted and closed her eyes. Imagining the Street and the buildings around her. ‘If I came from there…And they shot me here…’ As she thought to herself, she imagined lines of possible trajectory from where the shot came from. ‘That would mean they’re elevated to some degree, but they don’t have a clear shot on me now, meaning that we’re probably at even elevation with me…’ Quickly the Inventor used her keen intellect to deduce just where this Sniper was.
’He must be on a Building at least a block away, Right…’ She pointed at the wall. ‘There. I just know it.’ Her eyes widened as she thought of a plan. ‘I know exactly what I can do!’ A nervous smile came over her face as she thought “It’s Perfect!”
Three Minutes Passed and Nema still stayed in his location. Holding so still that a scorpion crawled across his foot unfazed. ‘Where is she? I have a full view of the entire building, and yet I haven’t seen a hint of any movement. Did she bleed out?’ Nema thought to himself. He would have hit an Artery, but his aim was too good for that…No, She’s Bleeding Alright…But she’s still down on the Ground. I knew I shouldn’t have Played with my food’
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Movement Caught Nema’s attention. ‘There…!’
From the Far Building the hood of Jeanne came over the Ledge, hood moving in tandem with her stride. ‘I’ve got you now!’ Nema Thought as he finally released all of the air in his lungs! Propelling the long dart out of the other end, growing in size once more!
Zipping through the air at an incredible speed faster than a bullet, a speeding bullet, the Spine ripped through the hood!
But all wasn’t as it seemed! Steam leaked through the back of the Hood and through the fresh hole! “Gotch’ya!” Shouted Jeanne as she threw the Cloak to the Side!
Before ever letting the Cloak over the Edge, she’d poured as much steam into Archie as she could, filling its chambers with so much steam that the Pressure Gauge Needle went haywire!
She hopped up onto the ledge of the Building, Sweat dripping down her face as she saw exactly where Nema was. Right where she’d predicted! “Shit!” He rushed to pull a dart from his bandolier, but his hands shook, he put all of his energy into that blow!
She’d been missing something in her New Crimson ammunition, but Thanks to one chance encounter with Mar-Syl, she’d been able to concoct the right mixture that She and Her Captain had thought of! ‘This one's for you, Leroy! For All of You!’
“Go! Crimson King!” Jeanne Shouted at the Top of her lungs as she pulled the trigger! Releasing all the built-up pressure. While normally, Archie would only be able to achieve a Respectable Mach Speed at Best, And Jeanne herself was just an Ordinary woman physically, but by using Archie and Her Logia powers to its absolute fullest! The Ammunition cracked through the Air faster than a bullet! Zipping straight for Nema!
Her aim was right at Nema! A hard shot indeed, and Yet the Markswoman pulled it off! A Massive Explosion Encompassing a small area of the Rooftop where the Sniper was! Nema was sent Flying back a dozen feet! Slamming into the wall of the Nearby stairwell! Cracks reverberated up its surface as the Pure Gold agent Slumped to the Ground, a nasty burn mark across his chest, The Bamboo weapon, Prob, shattered at his side.
“Hah…Hah…Hah…” Jeanne felt incredibly lightly headed as she stumbled backward and fell back onto the roof. Her chest heaving as sweat poured around her. Using that amount of power had taken so much out of her, she couldn’t even walk. Couldn’t even move
“Man…To think now I gotta walk all the way down to that Array, cuz I can not use any more of my Power to shoot it…” She rolled her eyes slightly “And then I gotta walk all~ The way back to wherever the hell the others are…Hah…”
The Victor of Snipers: Arquette Jeanne