♠ Juliet ♠
"Are you going to just stand there then, or are you actually going to provide a bit of a challenge for me?" Greyson's bored voice grated on my nerves, resounding clearly throughout the little clearing we were in. As far as bases went, this one was rather pathetic, in true reflection of its inhabitants.
I felt my lips curl upwards into a derisive smirk. "Be careful what you wish for, Three." My tone was taunting, sarcastic. This was, perhaps, the most emotion I had shown in quite a while. It seemed as though the Third Digit had a rather uncanny ability to draw such powerful feelings from me, a truth which I would rather not acknowledge.
Greyson arched an eyebrow, twirling the dagger between nimble fingers as he settled into a fighting stance, preparing for an attack. "Why ever so, Juliet?" He asked, grey eyes narrowing slightly. I felt the tendrils of his telepathy attempting to reach into my mind, probe its depths, but I kept my mental shields intact, unyielding.
As expected, Greyson didn't bother to wait for a response. He lunged forward, dagger poised for my chest, teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Neither speed nor strength were on my side, but I would utilize my own talents and shift the situation to my advantage. Channeling my telekinesis, I directed the trajectory of Gryeson's blade upwards and sideways, forcefully changing the third Digit's momentum. Greyson's dagger barely skirted the skin of my cheek, slicing a shallow cut there, from which blood immediately sprung forth, as his body veered to the left.
Ignoring the stinging pain that had blossomed from the wound, I flattened myself to the floor, just in time to avoid Greyson's body as he pivoted and lunged, having recovered from his loss of balance. Hazel eyes caught sight of the ropes that lay just feet from me, and as I rose from the ground, the ropes obediently followed my movements.
Greyson stood across the clearing from me, regarding me warily, panting slightly. He had not been in top fighting condition upon confronting me, a fact I knew he would come to regret, in retrospect. For now, he would have to suffer for his foolishness. I curled my fingers inwards and flicked, sending the ropes flying towards my adversary.
My previous binds coiled around Greyson's appendages, restraining his movements. He deftly chopped through many of the ropes, his blade just a hair's breadth away from the fabric of his clothes. However, he was unable to free himself from the cords which had snaked themselves around his legs, effectively tying them together at the ankle.
He struggled to remain on his feet, but inevitably toppled forwards. Halfway to the ground, he somersaulted, righting himself and throwing his blade downwards. The ropes fell apart easily, submitting under the jagged edge of the dagger and freeing Greyson. Without warning, he surged forward once more, nearly sprinting. I side-stepped him, but I was obviously not his target, for he continued onwards.
Just before he collided with the trunk of a tree, he sped up, flying straight upwards as he ascended it, his feet a mere blur as they connected with the tree's trunk. When he neared the branches, his knees bent slightly and he flipped over in midair, one leg extended and aimed for the top of my head. Had my reflexes been any slower, he could have easily crushed my skull. As it was, I summoned the severed ropes to me once more, grasped one end in my hands, and looped the other around Greyson's foot, dodging out of his path just in time.
Using his momentum, I swung Greyson around in mid-air. His body crashed into the trunk of the tree with a sickening crack, as nearly half the bones on the right side of his body promptly shattered. I didn't hesitate in crossing the leafy expanse of ground between us, landing a sharp blow to the boy's nose, which gave way easily beneath my heel. Greyson groaned in pain, as he slumped down the trunk, sprawling out onto the muddy floor limply.
Contempt threatened to overwhelm the more merciful side of myself. I quickly regained my composure, unwilling to sink to the level of the cretin below me. Rather than land another blow onto the weakling, I sneered, crouching so that I could better assess the damage. With a casual flick of my wrist, I summoned Greyson's dagger to me. It levitated from the ground a few yards away, and I guided it towards Greyson's neck, prepared to slit his throat should he attempt to kill me.
I lowered my head, until my mouth was just beside his ear. My labored breath tickled the strands of matted hair on Greyson's head. "I will spare your life, this once, Greyson, but make no mistake of it. I will not hesitate to murder you the next time our paths cross."
Through the blood that streamed freely from his nose, Greyson managed a weak smirk as he glared up at me. Vulnerable and defenseless, he still managed to affect an air of supremacy. "Your generosity astounds me," he spat out, his voice slightly slurred with pain.
With a wave of my hand, I sent Greyson's dagger flying deep into the forest. Shrugging my shoulders, I stood, staring unsympathetically at the broken body before me. "Perhaps you should heed my words next time, Greyson. We shall meet again." I tilted my head towards him, a mocking gesture of farewell, before turning on my heel and exiting the clearing.
After walking a few feet, I stumbled slightly. Despite not receiving grievous physical wounds, preventing Greyson from reading my mind or controlling it sapped more strength out of me than I cared to admit. My strength had been thoroughly diminished, though I couldn't afford to show weakness before completely evacuating the premises.
Pausing, I glanced upwards. "If you are quite done spectating, I would advise returning to the others. Knowing the extent of their intellectual capabilities, I would not expect much productivity from that particular trio."
The branches above me rustled slightly, and a flash of pink announced the second Digit's presence as she descended from the tree she had been perched in. I had not expected her to intervene in my battle with Greyson, and I was quite thankful she had not felt the need to do so. Undoubtedly, she would have only served as a nuisance.
"The others? Oh, I do hope I haven't worried them," Ayre muttered to herself, eliciting an eye-roll out of me.
"They are currently scouring the town in search of you," I deadpanned. Straightening the glasses that had slid down my nose during combat, I began walking, leading the way through the forest and towards the hotel we were residing in.
"We have to find them! Oh, Juliet, I am so sorry for leaving you--"
I began to tune out the girl's incessant chatter then, allowing her to ramble in a rather irritating way, simply because I didn't wish to spare the effort of kindly instructing her to shut her mouth. Our footsteps were silent as we trundled through the forest. Everything was quiet, deceitfully peaceful.
For now.
