Bad Blood

November 23, 2023

Cole steps out onto the porch of the backyard as he sighs and rests his arms on the railing. Lochlan carefully turns the door knob as she cracks open the door, careful to not make a sound. Her mask is now pulled over her face. One hand holds a black pocket knife as the other hand grabs something from her pocket. She puts the item in her mouth and slowly closes the door behind herself. Cole doesn't seem to notice as he starts to mutter to himself, "God will you shut up for five seconds, I'm trying to think here."

Just as Cole finishes speaking to himself, Lochlan lunges forward. She raises both arms with the blade in hand and strikes it down into his back and attempts to drag it down.

Cole makes a loud groan as blood pools out and leaks from the wound, Lochlan hits something metal that prevents her blade from going down further. She pulls the blade out and steps back.

Cole spins on his foot as he draws his combat knife, Lochlan watches as Cole's blade shoots out to the length of a machete as Cole faces Lochlan in a full offensive stance.

Lochlan tries to run past Cole, slicing the knife at his calf while trying to fall off the porch through the gaps in the railing.

Cole doesn't seem bothered as he does a side flip over the railing to land in front of Lochlan and attempts a slice at her chest.

Lochlan quickly steps back though her jacket gets torn. She then runs forward to jab the knife up under his knee cap.

Cole quickly kicks his leg out to prevent the knife from getting under his knee cap, then aims a strong beat to Lochlan's knife.

lochlan drops the knife and aims a strong swing at his gut.

Cole groans as his eyes start to change to a slight pink then aims a punch right at Lochlan's sternum.

Lochlan makes a sound as if she got winded but doesn't back down. She grabs onto and tries to climb up his arm.

Cole swings his arm into the porch railing without much care.

Lochlan is hit rather hard but stubbornly keeps grip, She hangs onto his back and wraps both arms around his neck to strangle him.

Cole stumbles as his breathing starts to wheeze and become restricted before stopping entirely as he starts to fall on his back.

Lochlan notices as she loosens her grip to swing around to his front as he falls, Her lower jaw peeks out from under the mask as she tries to bite onto his neck.

Cole quickly stops himself from falling onto his back, allowing Lochlan to bite his neck as coolant and blood sprays out violently. She tightens her bite as much as she can.

Cole grips the back of Lochlan's neck and rips her off his neck without any care as he throws her into what remains of the porch railing.

A golden bullet is left partly dug into Cole's neck from Lochlan's mouth. The rest of the railing breaks as Lochlan rolls onto the porch. Her breathing picks up as red blood seeps through the back of her jacket with splinters sticking out. She takes a moment to stand back up.

Cole twirls the machete in his hand as he climbs back onto the porch and starts approaching Lochlan.

Lochlan growls as Cole's blood and coolant drips from her teeth. She grabs a piece of the broken railing to use as a stake.

Cole aims an upward slice at the broken railing that she's holding in an attempt to get rid of the sharp part.

Lochlan thrusts her arm forward, putting her entire arm in the way of the blade as it pierces through the fabric and carbon casing and comes out the other side. There's a loud spark as there's a violent shock set through the arm and Cole's machete. Lochlan tenses up instantly and grits her teeth with a grunt.

Cole tenses up as he grits his teeth, the violent spray of blood and coolant starting to slow as he stares her in the eyes.

Lochlan glares back as her pupils sharpen and fill with rage. She tries to rip her arm away to get the machete that is stuck into it, out of Cole's hand. She then puts as much force she can into a strong kick at his gut, trying to knock him off the porch.

Cole steps back off the porch then springs off of his back foot and charges forward and stomps on her foot causing it to splinter the board below it and entrap her foot beneath the porch.

Lochlan loses her balance and lands on one knee as her other leg falls further into the porch. She tries to pull her leg out but the planks of wood pointing inward only dig further into her leg as she stops.

Cole aims a punch at Lochlan's lower jaw as he yanks his machete out of her now nonfunctioning arm as he readies to block a retaliation.

Lochlan's head is jerked from the force as she coughs some. Lochlan attempts to throw a punch at Cole with her working arm.

Cole quickly and without much thought chops at her punching arm with his machete, causing it get stuck.

There's another spark as a mild shock is sent through the blade. She grits her teeth again but tries to yank the arm away from Cole to get the machete out from his hands.

The shock causes him to lose a little grip on the machete allowing Lochlan to tug it out of his hands. There's another bright spark of light as Lochlan moves both arms again. She grips the machete and rips it out of her arm. The movements of the arms are quick but jittery and more robotic than before. She huffs in anger as she licks the blood from the edge of her mask. She's losing it a bit.

Cole seems to growl quietly as he aims an aggressive grab at Lochlan's mask to try and tear it off.

The mask is ripped off. Her face is half covered in blood and coolant. Her lips are curled back as her teeth show through a snarl. She looks outraged but hints of exhaustion are trying to show through. She makes a brutally fast swing at his torso, relying more on the mechanical parts of her arms for the force. As she swings, the machete sparks with electricity.

Cole is hit in the chest as he coughs and stumbles then uses steps forward as he grips the blade of the machete as he plants a hand on her shoulder as he yanks strongly.

The machete is torn from her grip as she takes some deep breaths.

Cole's hand is noticeably bleeding as he flips to holding it by the handle as he lets out a low tone, "Mine" before stepping out of Lochlan's range.

Lochlan is starting to get sloppy from blood loss as she swings her arm in the air at him with a growl.

Cole steps back inside the house as he gives a side eye to Lochlan.

Cole strolls into the living room with a casual stride. He has a chunk missing out of his neck with a golden bullet stuck in the wound. A mixture of blood and coolant is slowly coating the machete handle.

Luna looks over, "So ho-" her eyes widen from the sight, "What the fuck? Did we get attacked?"

"Lochlan tried to kill me" Cole doesn't seem to be bothered by it as the machete shrinks back into his combat knife as he holsters it.

"What the fuck? Do you need medical assistance? And why? Is this over the interrogation??" Hinata is asking questions rapidly, her body shaking in fear. Her eyes are focused directly on Cole's damaged body.

"And uh I'm surprised you're taking an assassination with such a stride. Did you take your medicine Cole?" Luna tilts her head.

Cole gives Luna a side eye that she's never seen before, it reads the same as his face going completely neutral but it has an air of no care as he responds to Hinata, "I'm fine, I'm lucky that my charger stopped her knife before it went all the way down my back."

Luna freezes in place and doesn't respond. The new look on Cole's face scares her.

Hinata nervously nods, "Uhm.. I- I see. Does Lochlan need first aid?"

Cole seems to think about it for a second then responds, "Yeah but I think you might need more than a couple bandages" Cole still seems to barely care.

Hinata groans at Cole's uncaring attitude, "What is up with you? She's still one of us. Just..." Hinata breathes a sigh and looks down, "A lot more chaotic than before, and in the worst way possible."

Luna is still dead silent and stares at Cole.

Cole responds with a cold tone, "She made an attempt on my life, and you call that chaotic? I may be immortal and extremely hard to kill but I would hardly call that chaotic, that's just murder."

Hinata sighs and responds, "...Fair. I don't understand what she has against you other than the interrogation. Something that was our fault in the first place."

Luna doesn't seem to agree, "That's cold Cole. The hell is up with you? We've been attacked no less than a hundred times in our time together and not once have you given us that tone. What the hell dude.'

Hinata mumbles to Luna, "Man just got his life attempted on, calm down Luna."

Luna sighs and looks down, "Right."

Cole shakes his head, "I'm only being cold since you're trying to defend the person that ripped a chunk out of my neck" Luna could probably notice the golden bullet stuck in his neck as he snaps a rag into his hand and unsheathes his knife to start cleaning it with a sigh.

Luna nods, "Yeah I uh.. right you're right Cole. I'm still struggling to get used to... you know, things being completely different. I'm sorry for immediately taking her side, Cole." She eventually looks up from the ground and notices both the neck wound and the bullet. "So uh what's with the gold bullet? I'm sure we would've heard a gunshot."

Hinata adds, "Yeah, I mean we had our hearing muffled to give you two privacy, but some sounds still come through. Extremely loud ones."

Cole seems to remember and then responds, "Oh that thing, she was biting on it or something." Cole then digs the bullet out of his neck and starts inspecting it.

It seems like a very well made bullet with a few designs and patterns etched into it.

Luna tilts her head, "Eh? She was biting on this?" Luna tilts her head.

Cole shrugs as he sighs, "Yeah, didn't seem to help her much though."

Hinata continues to stare at the bullet before speaking, "Hey Lunes, let's go check on Lochlan and fix her up."

Luna asks, "How badly is she hurt? I don't think any of us are capable of surgery aside from stitches."

Cole shrugs. His neck starts to regenerate and heal as he responds, "For the most part it's just splinters with a few slices, her arms are the most damaged."

Luna nods as they get the first aid kit and take it out to the backyard. Hinata follows.

Luna and Hinata step outside. But Lochlan is nowhere to be seen.

All that's left is the broken railing and hole in the floorboards of the porch. The jagged sharp spikes of the hole are still covered in semi fresh blood.

"What the hell? Lochlaaaaaaan where are you!" Luna calls out to them then notices the arm.

Laying on the steps nearby are the damaged left overs of one arm. The fabric is no longer attached and the carbon fiber casing that's left is attempting to protect a mess of shredded wires and circuit boards. A thin trail of smoke rises from the ruined circuitry.

Hinata's eyes widen at the scene, "Holy fuck, I knew there was a fight but I didn't realize it was this bad, what the fuck."