Tinker Protocols

"I'm thinking… let's not give him a chance to reach for any weapons," I murmured. "You deal with Tinkers by denying them access to their stuff."

"I could pull him out through the window," Sveta said. "I don't want to cut him up though. Sorry."

"Car windows don't break like that," Rain said. "But they don't break that easily if you punch them or hit them with a baseball bat, either. Let me set up, you follow up. One two punch."

"One two three," I said. "Let me get in position, then we go."

That got me a pair of nods.

I hurried forward, ducking down beside a car. I looked back in the direction of the Lyme Center, worrying a bit about the others.

We'd trust them for now.

I gave the other two a nod.

Rain created a silver crescent, holding it in his hands. He was far enough back that I couldn't hear him, but I saw him mouthing the words.

He flung the blade. It slammed into the door of the truck, drawing out a glowing silver line.

In the dark, Sveta's hands were hard to see. One seized the car door, tugging. The other followed a second later, reaching through the gap in the same second it appeared.

The guy had his seatbelt on, and that delayed things for a second. I saw him scrabble, reaching for something. Then Sveta had him, tugging him away and beneath the seatbelt- his feet got caught and he slipped back, head moving in the direction of the ground, while his feet were on and near the seat.

She got another hand on him, and when she tugged on him this time, he moved at a velocity that kept his head from scraping against frozen dirt.

I was there to catch him. My aura blasted him while he was in transit. I was ready to slap or catch a weapon out of his hands, but he was unarmed.

Sveta pulled him close, her feet skidded on hard, icy ground, and she nearly toppled, taking the guy to the ground with her. Rain caught her, his body behind hers, then produced a silver blade, holding it to the guy's throat.

The flannel shirt tinker wore a mask, soft fabric, bright blue lenses, a spike extending over his head. The fabric stopped where his facial hair began, but the look just really didn't work. It rarely did, unless the beard was magnificent.

I could see him huffing for breath. The emotion blast had been to put him more off balance, and to mess up his coordination in case he had a weapon as Sveta pulled him close.

- Polarize 10.8