MidwayLives
"What's your favorite scary movie...?"
The two had found an alleyway which seemed spacious enough for them to fight. Something that Johnny still seemed reluctant to go through with. He disapproved of Andrew's scamming. Taking advantage of others for your own gain was wrong. But he had to stand his ground and stick to his guns. If he ran away now after making that big show about stopping him, he'd never be able to look in the mirror again. Standing a fair distance away from Johnny, Andrew reached in around his waistband and pulled out what appeared to be a pistol of some kind. Johnny's eyes widened and he took a step back in alarm. "Y-You're going to shoot me?!"
As if to try and ease Johnny's concerns, Andrew waved him down. "Relax, this is just an airsoft gun. You haven't really wronged me enough for me to contemplate real bullets." Whether or not that was a sick joke, Johnny wasn't sure. "If we're going to fight then I wanna make something clear. Don't underestimate me just because I'm blind. If you do? You'll regret it." Loading up the gun, Odd tapped the index finger on his left hand on his waist. "I know the folks who live in the buildings parallel to this alleyway so if you're worried about anyone getting hurt? Forget about it, they're gone for the day. Work if I'm not mistaken. So, let me show you a little demonstration of AUX."
Gesturing with the gun for Johnny to follow it's movement, he did so as Andy aimed it vaguely in the direction of one of the upperstory windows. "AUX doesn't work too great with stationary targets. They don't tend to move so no sound is made and thus the forecast is generally useless. Which means it'd probably take me a couple of shots to hit that window. I'd wager about five. But if I were to use AUX.."
*pink pink pink pink*
*CRASH*
Glass shards started to fall and the sound of rapid movement, punching he assumed, was heard as was Johnny's power. Whatever it may have been.
"Four shots, actually. Was one off." Knowing exactly where to shoot now after focusing on the location of the shattering glass. He fired the gun and razor sharp glass shards started to descend down towards Johnny. This was a demonstration and a signal that the fight had started! Damn it, he'd been so focused on worrying about how this would go when shit got done to the nitty gritty, he froze! "Melancholy Hill!!" Having already been by it's user's side, the creature tilted it's head upwards and threw a flurry of punches intended to try and knock away the shards before they made contact with Johnny. "DARE DARE DARE DARE DARE DARE!" Most of them were smacked aside but some still broke through and managed to cut Johnny's left shoulder, dig into his right thigh, and cut up his knuckles. "Ow, ow, fuck!" Johnny cursed as Andrew slipped his gun away once more. "So, that enough of a demonstration or do you want more?"
"Grrr!" A fire had been lit under Johnny's ass and he wasn't going to let this guy get away with it! But before he even took his first steps forward, Andrew activated his power again.
*crunch crunch crunch*
*swoosh*
*splash*
"Damn it!"
So, that was it huh? Having listened to the forecast, Andrew focused as he heard the soles of Johnny's shoes crunching against the shards of glass that'd landed at his feet. One crunch, two crunch, three crunch and now, the second predicted noise! It sounded like an attempted left hook. Jumping back, the blow hit nothing but air. Then the splash came from a water bottle that Andrew had landed on. "Damn it!" Johnny exclaimed, as Andrew flashed him a smug smile. "Still don't have a good grasp on what exactly your power is but given that you didn't pursue, I'm guessing it has something of a range limitation? I'd say only a couple meters at best or else you would have continued and clobbered me. Sorry Johnny, but it looks like that money's gonna be mine. Maybe you can use your power to rob a bank of your own, huh?" There it was, the insult to injury. Gritting his teeth, Johnny looked down at the shard of glass jutting from his thigh and began to pant. It was really going to hurt pulling that out, like really hurt. Not to mention the blood oozing down his still healing knuckles. Going to town on that robot had taken it's fair share of wear and tear on him.
"You really think you could go save a bank full of hostages from somebody like us when you can't even handle me? This is real life, we're talkin. Not some kind of video game. AUX!"
*He could hear his own breathing as he raced forward*
*Johnny gasped, likely in surprise that he was coming in for close quarters. Then he let out a yell*
*"DARE DARE DARE DARE DARE DARE DARE!!!" seemed like a flurry of punches. Easy enough to avoid so long as he focused on where he imagined each punch was coming from*
*THWACK*
*Johnny screamed*
Forecast over. Right, so he was going to go for another punch barrage, huh? Andrew shook his head and raced forward, keeping his head down low. There was the gasp and then the yell. "AAAAH!" Sounded like the two of them were pretty close to eachother now. As the punches started coming in, Andrew knew exactly which way to move to dodge every single one. If only he could have seen the look on Johnny's face. One of anguish, confusion, frustration. He had all this power and yet this guy was making him feel like a novice. Swinging the cane upwards after the last punch had been dodged, Andrew felt it connect with the side of Johnny's head and a scream escaped past his lips. As he started to fall, Johnny could feel his vision starting to blur. That last blow had hit pretty hard and right in the noggin to boot. But he couldn't go down like this. He told Andrew that he'd stop him and he had to keep his word! [Melancholy Hill] lashed it's tail forward, wrapping it around Andrew's arm.
"Ah, feels like you got something around my arm. Something loose...? A tail? Or maybe a rope? Doesn't matter. IT'S OVER, JOHNNY! AUX!"
*THWACK*
*Another scream but then another hand grabbing onto his walking stick*
*"DARE"
*Wait...What was this sound? It sounded absolutely horrendous? Whatever it was, he didn't like it. Sounded horribly distorted*
*"NO!"*
*"DARE!" Another punch. This one sounded like...it connected!*
"...He landed a punch on me...?" Andrew muttered aloud in disbelief. He could usually change the fate his forecasts predicted. But he was actually going to get slugged?? Tch, no he would change fate! The stick hit home again on Johnny's side this time. But then as in AUX's forecast, he couldn't pull the stick from Johnny's grip. "DARE..." Although Andrew couldn't see it, in his mildly dazed state due to the blow to his head, [Melancholy Hill] was looming over Andrew with it's mouth wide open, ready to drag him into it's portal. Hearing the familiar noise, Johnny's eyes shot open. "NO!" [Melancholy Hill] pulled back and clenched it's right hand into a fist. "DARE!" The fist swung out, catching Andrew in the mouth and sending him flying back and knocking his shades off. Crashing into a nearby garbage can, Andrew's stick fell at his side.
"...Looks like I won." Johnny murmured as he staggered forward, his movements hindered by the shards in his flesh. "I held back just enough to avoid seriously injuring you...I took down a robot with [Melancholy Hill] I'd hate to see what it could do to a normal person. I won this stupid little game, Andrew." He spat and Andrew could only seem to smile in response. Sitting up, he brushed his bangs out of his face, revealing his eyes to Johnny who stumbled back in shock. "...I didn't need AUX to hear you take a step back. You saw em, huh? Well, can't be helped now.." Reaching around for wherever his sunglasses had fallen, Johnny shakily reached down to grab them for him. Although he'd never openly accuse Andrew of such a thing despite him being clearly kind of a dick, Johnny ha full on confirmation that not only was he blind.
Somebody had cut his eyes straight across. A jagged scar made it painfully obvious.
It was a gruesome sight and one Johnny wished he hadn't seen. "Here.." Snatching his sunglasses out of his hand, Andrew put them on and rose to his feet. Where he'd been punched was already well on it's way to turning into a bruise. His bottom lip had been busted as well. "Well, guess first impressions were wrong. You are strong, Johnny. You won fair and square and beat this guy with powers. Now, why don't you go stop that bank robber?" Flashing him a smile might have been prudent but his teeth were stained with blood from his lip. Johnny said nothing for a moment or two before eventually sighing. "...Is that all this was? A test to see if I really had what it took to go stop this criminal?"
"Maybe. Or maybe I was just having some fun and bit off more than I could chew. Wouldn't be the first time. Go on and get outta here." Andrew shooed Johnny off but much to his surprise, he felt Johnny place a hand on his shoulder. "I, uh, I'm sure you probably could have used AUX to hear me sticking my hand out. But since I can't hear or see the future, why don't you kill the suspense and shake my hand?" Taken aback by the gesture, Andrew shrugged his shoulders. 'Sure. Why not?" As the two shook hands, Andrew patted Johnny on the side. "...Good luck, dude."
Breaking off the handshake, Johnny nodded. "Yeah. Same to you." Turning away from Andrew, Johnny started to stagger out of the alleyway. It'd take him some time but if he sprinted down there, he might be able to make it in time! That fight with Andrew had left him injured and he'd have to deal with these shards sooner rather than later but all that could wait! People's lives were possibly on the line here! Maybe if he bought a bike real quick, he could-...Wait...Wait a minute, his pocket felt so much lighter. "HEY!!" He screamed over his shoulder but Andrew had already grabbed his stick and ran back into the crowd with wallet in hand. "Sorry Johnny, you win some, you lose some!"
"B-BUT I DIDN'T LOSE!!! ...Ah, man!"
Ugh, he couldn't run with these kinds of injuries! He'd be too out of energy by the time he got there! Then he'd only make things worse for everyone! Looking around in desperation, salvation seemed to come in the form of a bike parked at bicycle rack. Only issue was? It had a lock on it. Did he violate the rights of the bike's owner by stealing it? Well, it was for the greater good and he did just have to fight another superpowered guy...Sooo...
"[Melancholy Hill]..." Johnny whispered under his breath as the creature's boot smashed the lock off. Climbing aboard, Johnny started to peddle towards the bank and the evildoer that was robbing it. "SORRY!!!" He yelled back to the poor guy who'd walk out and see his lock absolutely demolished and some bleeding weirdo taking off with his bike!