Starlight and Shadows

Chapter 4: BRYS

Zeffre leaped over the street with her boost pack. The cool night air rushed across her grinning face as she was airborne, blue hair fluttering in the wind. Landing on opposite rooftop she continued running over the buildings.

Retrieving the scroll strapped to her waist she pulled up the tracking application she had programmed for it a few days ago. 'Okay Roman... Where are you going,' she thought as she continued her run. He was in the commercial district, so Zeffre was almost certain he was taking part in a heist. 

But which store? 

Reaching the end of the block she saw that he was already inside of a building.

'From Dust Till Dawn? Clever name.' Just as she was preparing to jump down from the rooftop the window to the store shattered outwards; one of Roman's men flying out into the street. 'Huh? What's going on here?'

There was a girl standing out there. From her position Zeffre couldn't see too many details about her beyond her red hood and cloak. Her weapon on the other hand...

"What is up with these people having the coolest freaking weapons," she said to herself in awe. The girl's weapon folded out into a beautiful red scythe in a symphony of mechanical brilliance. Watching her fight was like watching a performance. The girl was quick, moving to engage the rest of the men with a speed that was surprising. And... Oh? Her scythe was also a gun? She was using its recoil to propel herself, dodging the men's shots.

Stepping out of the store a man wearing white was talking to the girl. That must be Roman considering the different outfit. Zeffre couldn't hear what they were saying, but she was able to see Roman point his cane at the girl in red... 'His cane is also a gun? How many objects in this world are also guns,' she thought, watching as Roman fired an explosive round at the girl in red.

 She was fine. 

In the short amount of time she was recovering, Roman was already scampering off to a ladder on the side of a building.

Sitting down to enjoy the show Zeffre watched as some twin-engine aircraft came to pick Roman up, flying low between the buildings to get to him. "Wait, what's going on now", she said to herself, watching as an older blond woman showed up to back up the girl in red.

From her position on the roof Zeffre could see straight into the cockpit of the aircraft. More importantly, she could see that whoever was piloting switch seats with Roman. Smirking at an idea she just had, Zeffre fired a bolt of starlight from her left hand straight up as a flare to draw his attention. The second Roman's green eyes made contact with her blues she broke out into a grin while waving.

Zeffre's grin widened as she saw the emotions flash on his face. From concentrated to confused to recognition to annoyed. Using one hand to hold the stick in place Roman gave her the middle finger with his other hand, which was enough to send Zeffre doubling over in laughter.

Wiping away the tears in her eyes Zeffre watched curious as the blond woman and the other passenger on the aircraft had, well, had a magic duel. One was conjuring pillars of fire, and the other summoned ice spikes to impact the roof of the aircraft. "Huh. I guess magic exist here... Neat," she said. Not that she considered her own powers to be magical in nature. They were from incredibly advanced technology that nobody understood, which is totally different from magic.

With one final clash they disengaged, Roman giving her one last glare before the aircraft flew off.

Watching the aircraft fly off into the distance Zeffre had only one immediate course of action. 'I need to ask that girl about her weapon', she thought before boosting into the air. Using a grav dash to position herself above the roof with the blond woman and the red girl she gracefully dropped, landing right next to the two of them.