...
Chauncey wasted no time. He stepped out and into the light, making his presence known through the cocking of his devilish firearm- pointed directly at the back of Xander's head.
Xander noticed and looked up, without any sign of shock or surprise except for a raised eyebrow, "Why did I know you'd be nearby?"
A sly, if slightly forced grin rose on Chauncey's face, his gun steady, "It's 'cause you love me."
He winked, but these attempts at roguish confidence failed to disguise the discomfort behind his glowing red eyes.
He only sighed, "Right."
Xander allowed the sphere of light to disappear into scattered strings as he slowly raised his hands to show peaceful intent, his eyes looking down, seeming almost crestfallen, "So, what is this about exactly?"
The mage gritted his teeth with frustration, his hand shaking slightly before steadying again, "I've reason to think that you've been compromised. Wanted to see for myself if there was anything to that."
He nodded, "Right. Are the other two involved?"
His expression finally broke into a proper snarl, "Ask 'em yourself; you're talking to me right now."
Xander's head tilted as he inspected the mage, "So, if we're talking, then you could at least tell me why I'm under suspicion."
Chauncey took a deep breath. It occurred to him that the stress was starting to eat away at him, inhibiting his decision-making. Even if Xander was compromised, he might not yet be aware of it. If he could reason with him properly, this could still be handled peaceably. Besides, though he'd promised her nothing, and even if this situation was wholly her fault, he couldn't quite right himself with the idea of killing the poor woman's husband when it wasn't necessary.
He flicked his revolver towards Xander's left hand, where the ruby band was visible just under his jacket sleeve, "Those bands... they're a physical contract with Caster. Putting them on forms a bond between you and him... a bond he could almost assuredly take advantage of."
Xander started to speak, but the mage cut him off "-That! And the fact that, since you've worn the damned thing, you've been acting stranger and stranger. There's every reason to think something's wrong!"
Waiting to be sure that he was finally finished, Xander sighed again with the same crestfallen expression, before the sigh turned suddenly to a chuckle, one unbefitting the situation, "I'm sorry, Chauncey. I keep underestimating you."
He tightened his hold on the revolver.
Xander met the mage's eyes, "I know- I know what these bands are. I know more than you think, more than you could know. I don't suppose it's too late to ask you to trust me?"
Chauncey narrowed his eyes, "The Hell do you think?"
He shrugged, "Just being sure. This is dangerous knowledge, you know."
He raised an eyebrow, " 'Too dangerous to be known'? As in, 'a man too dangerous to be kept alive'?"
Xander smiled with what looked like pride, "Ah, you heard all that did you? Don't worry about that, it's a little old curse that afflicts people spying on things they aren't meant to see. Be thankful you cut me off before it finished."
"On with it."
Xander flexed his wrists to reinforce his surrender, "Right, right. I'm talking about the true nature of the job."
"The Hell are you talking about?"
"We aren't meant to be against Caster, Chauncey. Our job was never to take him out, it was to organize a conspiracy against him, to investigate any possible means of his defeat, not to defeat him, but so that those enemies, those routes to his defeat, could be accounted for and taken care of."
Chauncey almost laughed. The influence of suggestion was so obvious it was comical, and would've been if not for the tragically sorry excuse he offered, "Really, is that what the bracelet told you?"
He shook his head, "Samman knows too. I wasn't lying when I said I was going to go see him; he's with Caster and Aisha, assisting in their workshop. He uncovered the conspiracy himself, and so had to be removed so as to not reveal the plan to everyone else."
Chauncey growled, these lies were becoming too thick and blatant to bear, "So tell me then, why is it so important that all this remain secret? So important as to keep Samman away with no excuse for his absence?"
Xander gave an exasperated look, "We're mercenaries and mages, Chauncey, not actors. The only way to be sure that our purpose is carried out is if the team genuinely believes that taking out Caster is the true mission."
"That's a fantastic excuse, but not good enough to justify lying to your wife, is it now?"
"It's what we do for the job."
The tide of anger finally broke in the mage's heart, "Well, let me tell you what I'm gonna do for the goddamn job! I'm going to give you a choice: come with me back to the hotel, back to Radiya and Filza, and tell us everything, or eat my lead! Are you willing to do that 'for the job'?"
Any sense of glibness that Xander possessed disappeared, replaced by a firm understanding of the true stakes at play, "Chauncey- you're not listening."
"No! You aren't listening! You have two choices, so what'll it be? Truth or lead!?"
Words seemed to touch Xander's lips, before fading away. He tensed, and whispered under his breath, "...what we do for the job."
He raised his face to Chauncey's and opened his eyes, emotion replaced with steel, and the brown of his eyes replaced with an eerie purple, "You're in the way."
Out of the shadows, Cheval leaped up and and behind his master, his collar jingling and claws scraping against the concrete, but these could barely be heard past the burst of Chauncey's revolver. Unearthly sparks flew from the chamber, the bullet glowing with red hellfire.
"נע ונד!"
Xander barely spoke the words before the bullet hit its mark. Light like orange-gold sparks carved into his forehead in two concentric circles. The bullet hit his shoulder, sending sparks in all directions and burning a hole in his jacket- but leaving no mark as the crumpled bullet fell away with the sound of clanging steel.
Second shot. Missed.
Third shot. Torso. Deflected like the first.
Fourth Shot- Bullseye. Meeting the orange circle directly, Xander cried in pain and grasped at the place where the bullet hit. But such a wound would kill a normal man, and if such a thing only briefly discombobulated the mercenary, then Chauncey had no hope, not without understanding the nature of what was going on. His breath began to catch in his chest as panic pushed its way through his lungs.
As if sensing his fear, Cheval let out an unholy bark that echoed like the screams of the damned and began to scamper off from where they'd come. Without any better idea, Chauncey immediately moved to follow- hoping desperately that, for once, his devil might have good intentions. With strides as long as the shadows they cast, Cheval kept a far lead on his master, ducking into an alley not too far ahead-
...
Xander removed his hand from the sharp pain pounding in his head- red blood on his fingers. It was an ancient and powerful curse, but not a flawless one. It was still a curse after all, it wasn't designed to be useful. He pushed his frustration aside and marched ahead. The streets of Athens were too convoluted and winding to allow Chauncey much of a head start- though, even then, he doubted there was any escape for the Devil Mage. Rounding the corner, he marched out into the center of the street. There wasn't a single part of him that believed Chauncey would just run away. No, he was far too prideful to make such a sensible and even-minded decision. But, just as he began to doubt his own assumption- his careful ears heard the whirring of an engine.
...
From out of an alley far down the road, a black Cadillac veered out into the center of the street, tires screeching across the pavement and leaving black scars on the road. Behind the windshield, the devil mage beamed with the hateful energy of a genuine demon. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the old car lurched forward towards the mercenary.
-He had no time to dodge. The car slammed into him and continued forward into the concrete wall of a residence, cracking and crumbling the brick and bending the metal frame.
Xander stared hatefully at the man behind the wheel as blood dripped from his lip, but soon, even he was smiling. He lifted his hand towards Chauncey as an orange-gold 'horn' began to form out of his palm-
Sensing the incredible hatred emanating from the golden shape, Chauncey quickly shifted gears and peeled into reverse, allowing Xander's semi-limp body to fall ragged on the ground, before wheeling away in the opposite direction- with no intention of turning back. One hand clutching his stomach, the mercenary lifted the golden-horned hand one more, anger shining through the violet veil that hung over his eyes-
He couldn't let him go- not without saying goodbye.
The golden horn shot from his palm, sailing towards the fleeing vehicle, and just as the missile of hatred closed in on the car's trunk- Chauncey swerved the vehicle onto a sideroad, the edge of his car slamming into another concrete barricade, but not enough to prevent him from careening away and out of sight.
The golden horn shot through the metal-tip of the barricade, flying into the wall of the residence behind and shattering the wall of the building, causing the entire front side of the building to collapse on itself- unleashing all the damage Xander had taken sevenfold, but missing its target.
...
Alone and on his knees, the golden circle on his forehead flickered and disappeared, the curse running its course through the escaped golden horn. The purple veil fell from his eyes- not that he'd have noticed- and he slowly rose to his feet. He found himself wondering what to do next- how to handle the ever-more-dire situation- before a presence like a warm blanket wrapped around him. There was nothing to fear, the problem was out of his control now, this was true-
-But it was now the responsibility of one far more powerful and persuasive than himself.
He dusted off his jacket, wiping the blood from his face once more, and continued on his path, wondering silently to himself if Miss Alghul would allow him to borrow her shower.
...