PA32

The girl moved. "I said stop!" He cried and pointed at her once more, only to bring it back to the blond as he took a furtive step. They were circling him, one step after another as they put distance between themselves. The gun clicked as he flexed his finger on the trigger.

"Give up Marcus," that fool's voice. It wasn't calm, no. Marcus could hear the anxiety in it. It matched his own. "You know you can't stop us both even if you do shoot. You'll get maybe one shot before the other attacks."

[...]

"I don't need to kill you both," Marcus shook his head with a snarl. "I just need to stop the biggest threat." The gun barrel came to rest firmly pointed at the blond man's forehead. Blue eyes blinked in confusion.

"Wait… you think I'm the bigger threat?"

Marcus didn't have the time to blink. One moment he was looking into the eyes of a vaguely confused man while holding a gun, the next he had been slammed facedown onto his desk, the arm that held his weapon cruelly wrenched around his head.

[...]

By the time he managed to gasp he was held, one dainty arm across his throat, the other holding his own hand – and his own gun – against his right temple. His arm shook.

"Good work Neo," the Hunter chuckled and stepped forward. Marcus found himself pulled back a little, stumbling as he tried to do whatever the person who had hold of him wanted. He couldn't die here, not so close to his dream. "Neo…?"

There was a strange noise by Marcus' ear. Almost like breath coming out in a quick staccato. It took him a second to realise it was the sound of laughter, but without the sound. There was a quiet click, made all the more damning in the silence that pervaded the room.

It was like a bell tolling. As a finger pushed his own down just enough to make the trigger click.

"H-Help me…" Marcus whispered.

"Neo stop it!" The man snapped and stepped forward, frowning angrily as Marcus was pulled back again with a silent titter. "This isn't the time for jokes, knock him out or something.

The girl huffed – and Marcus thought he could hear her let out a sigh of frustration.

Before his finger was pushed down all the way.