I whirled around. This was the first time I'd seen him with my own eyes, but this had to be Leon. I pulled out my whip, ans flicked it at him, intending to pull the gun from his hand, but it seemed like time stopped. I couldn't move, but I struggled anyway. As suddenly as I'd stopped, I started moving again, but Leon wasn't there anymore, and my whip was headed straight for Cio, who had just returned from the creek. I quickly pulled the whip back. No sense hitting the people on my own side. I looked around, trying to find Leon.
Before I could, I saw a blur of red hair, and Victor pushed me down. Only then did I hear the gunshot. When I got up, Victor stayed put, lying prone on the ground and bleeding. I grabbed Tessa, and said, "Inside. Now!" my voice little more than a hiss. I reabsorbed her, and tapped into her abilities. I could feel her fighting me, but I focused on Victor's wound, drawing the bullet out and closing the track as best I could. Maybe he could heal, maybe not. I wasn't about to take that chance.
When I looked up, the fighting seemed to be still raging around me, so I suppressed Tessa completely and charged back into the fray.
