FicWad

Haru reached for the door knob tentatively, her gun gripped tightly in her free hand, the white and black Better Living Industries pistol lightweight and fully loaded, just waiting to be unleashed. The thud had taken her off guard; it wasn’t a simple knock, but a full blown slam, like a heavy object had been thrown at the door. She flicked a switch on the wall with the nose of her weapon, the old circuits humming and rattling before finally turning the porch light on, the fluorescent bar flickering weakly into the yawning darkness outside, barely making a difference.

She collected a breath and flung the door open wide, the rotting wood smacking off the wall loudly and she gasped as someone fell into the room on their front, their torso pressed against the threadbare carpet. Suddenly, Haru smiled; it was one of them, a Killjoy.

He was a young male, his torso slim yet of a muscular build and he was tall and lanky. His greasy blondish hair had been slicked back and the peroxide dye had started to grow out, some patches cheap, tacky yellow, other places a rich, caramel brown. His black skinny jeans were worn and faded, dust and mud plastered to the frayed denim. His shirt was of a striking yellow with black stripes, creating a tiger print and a gun was strapped to a harness around his chest area. Haru removed the weapon and inspected it; it was beautiful, much more beautiful than any other she had collected. It was vivid crimson with thin, hand painted, white stripes along the nose and ‘Deluxe’ written in a fancy scrawl along the side. She stroked her fingers along it, feeling the smooth, unscathed acrylic and the chip free paint before placing it in her free holster.

She looked back down at the silent Killjoy and began the routine check which she called “GKV”- Guns, Knives and Valuables. She nudged him with her foot and rolled him onto his back. What she saw made her want to scream and dance with joy. She snatched the jacket he had feebly clamped around his waist and her ravenous eyes took in the tell tale logos; the white box with the black ‘33’, the rose red material and the most wonderful logo of all- The red Cobra sign with its large fangs bared threateningly.

“Kobra Kid,” She whispered, her voice growing in volume as the realisation kicked in, “The Kobra Kid! I caught The Kobra Kid!!!!” She whooped and punched the air in victory. She whipped out her gun and went to hold the jacket aloft when she stopped. Something warm, wet and sticky was seeping onto her finger tips. She brought the cloth back toward her and flipped it over in her hands.
A damp, brown patch had blossomed there, staining the material a deep murky colour. She pulled her hand away, inspecting her fingers to see red stains beginning to dry up around her nails and she brought the smeared digits to her nose, inhaling deeply, the rich scent of copper attacking her nostrils; blood. She glanced back down to the Killjoy ‘Kobra Kid’ who lay deathly quiet on the threshold, his upper body in the hallway and his legs sprawled out onto the rickety floorboards outside. Her deep amber eyes surveyed down his face, tracing down his closed eyes, sharp, pixie like nose and his strong yet subtly curved jaw that lead to a long, slender neck upon where a single, golden locket was looped delicately. She kneeled down to take it when a red splodge caught her eye. She took the hem of his tiger print shirt and rolled it up, the sound of fabric leaving wet skin scraped into the silent hallway, seeming to echo off the walls. The smell of singed flesh and rotting wafted up her nose but she persevered, she had smelt worse after aiding a fellow injured Exterminator before. She inspected the wound, the skin around it was hot and scolded, still smoking slightly and the cut of a concentrated laser had created a nasty looking gash deep in his stomach. She pressed a light finger on the scorched edges, the second she applied the pressure, the young man awoke with a gasp.

Kobra arched his back, he had never felt so much pain in his life, and it burned his skin, coursed through his veins and set his bones alight with agony. He gasped and his eyes snapped open, his gaze immediately falling on the young woman looming over him. Her hair was midnight black and like raven’s wings and her smouldering amber eyes were fixated on his face like two, large garnet stones that ran like dark tunnels, never ending, as if they led to oblivion. She was beautiful, light casting shadows over her cheeks and the side of her pixie-like nose. Each of her features were curved and sharpened in all the right places as if she was a carefully grafted sculpture. Was he dead? No, he couldn’t be; if he were dead there would not be so much pain, right? Then who is this angel before him? He caught a glimpse of laminated paper clipped to her jacket and immediately tried to sit up. He had to get away from her now.
It was Haru. Better Living Industries top Exterminator.

Kobra swallowed dryly.

He was a dead man.