Baran leveled the glowing blade at Kurt, and energy coalesced at its tip in the form of a pinpoint searing white light that hummed with lethal intent.
"Drop dead," Baran said flatly and fired.
The beam of condensed light shot forward, faster than Kurt could process, punching a hole clean through his chest and smoke sizzled from the wound that was already cauterized from the intensity of the beam.
Kurt looked down, saw the gaping hole where his heart used to be, and blood gushed from his mouth in a thick, wet torrent.
Then he dropped to his knees and collapsed forward, dead before he hit the ground.
Sam, who'd just finished picking the first lock, working frantically on the second, looked back at this and screamed. "KURT!" Her shaking hands no longer able to maintain its grip on the hair clip she worked with.
Benji, on the other hand, let out a high-pitched, triumphant laugh, clapping his hands together like a child. "Yes! YES! That's what you get, you arrogant prick!" He turned to Sam with his grin widening. "And now it's your turn."
Sam scrambled backward with fear and panic in her eyes, but Baran was already moving. He grabbed her by the arm, yanked her upright, and pinned her wrists behind her back.
No matter how she kicked and thrashed, it was useless... Baran was simply too strong and fast.
"Let me go!" Sam screamed, tears streaming down her face as she was bound with a binding of solid light.
Benji ignored her screams and waddled over to Mary, still tied to the chair, then ran his tongue up the side of her face which made Mary flinch, her muffled sobs turning into choked whimpers of disgust.
"Sorry for leaving you hanging, darling," Benji cooed, then turned his attention to Sam.
He stepped closer, his beady eyes roaming over her body, and grabbed her face roughly, squeezing her cheeks until her lips puckered.
He then pulled her tear covered face closer and squinted like he was examining something, tilting his head, and then his eyes went wide with recognition.
"Wait... I know you." His grin turned predatory. "Yes... You're the Crowley girl, aren't you?"
A chill was sent down Sam's spine from hearing that name, but she immediately frowned her face and narrowed her eyes, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Benji started laughing, a wheezing, hysterical sound that echoed through the basement, and his high nasal voice not doing him any favours.
"Hahahaha! Oh, this is too perfect! Do you have any idea how much your family will pay to get you back? Or better yet..." His grin twisted into something darker. "...how much fun I can have before I tell them where you are?"
He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her bound body toward the stairs. Sam screamed, kicked, clawed at his hand with the little motion she could exercise, but Benji didn't care. He was too busy laughing.
"Baran!" Benji called over his shoulder. "Keep watch over this one," he pointed at Mary, then to Kurt. "We'll dispose of the body later like the others."
Baran nodded once and stepped outside the basement entrance, slamming the door shut and standing guard. His posture was relaxed, victory had made him careless.
Silence fell over the room momentarily, broken only by Mary's quiet sobs as she stared at Kurt's corpse lying on the cold stone floor, her body trembling.
Time kept counting down since his death and in 3... 2... 1...
Kurt's chest heaved suddenly, and his eyes snapped open. He gasped, sucking in air like a drowning man breaking the surface, and the system chimed.
[RESURRECTION COMPLETE]
Deaths: 12
[New Ability Unlocked: Photokinesis - F Rank]
[- Manipulate and generate light]
[+7 points awarded: Rare Death]
[Available Points: 11]
[QUEST UPDATE: Defeat Baran]
[Status: IN PROGRESS]
[SUB-QUEST UPDATE: Defeat Baran Without Dying]
[Status: FAILED]
[Notice: Potential streak terminated. Better luck next time]
Kurt sat up slowly, his hand going to his chest. The hole was gone, the wound healed, but the memory of it lingered like a phantom ache.
He dismissed the screen and looked around the room to find Mary who was staring at him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"Shh," Kurt raised a finger to his lips and got to his feet, moving carefully, then glanced at the door. Beneath the gap at the bottom, he could see the shadow of someone standing guard.
'Baran,' he thought to himself as he approached with a grim smile on his face, prepared to take advantage of Baran's lowered guard.
He crouched low with predator activated as his claws extended further than before and his eyes narrowed into slits.
Channeling Strength Aura, he felt a surge of power course through his limbs, and with calculated precision, Kurt moved to the door, positioned himself, and drove his claws straight through the wood.
They punched through Baran's chest from behind, five punctures, clean and brutal, erupting out the front of his body in sprays of blood.
Baran's eyes went wide, his mouth opening in a silent gasp as he looked down at the claws protruding from his chest, then slowly turned his head, confusion flickering in his yellow eyes.
"What was it you said again? Oh right... drop dead you bloody wanker," Kurt said from behind the door.
"What..." Baran whispered and dropped dead before he could finish the sentence.
Before Baran's body hit the ground, Kurt pulled his claws free, and his form collapsed into a lifeless heap. Then Kurt opened the door, stepped over the corpse, and crouched beside it.
He placed two fingers on his neck and checked for a pulse, confirming Baran's death. "I guess we both learnt something about myself today. I cheat."
He patted down Baran's coat for anything useful and found a wallet filled with cash.He wouldn't be needing that anymore.
And like a miracle, his search was rewarded with a full pack of cigarettes tucked into the inner pocket.
Kurt's face lit up. "Finally!" He pulled one out, lit it with his golden lighter, and took a long, grateful drag. "I'll be taking that, mate. Consider it a tip for the service."
[QUEST COMPLETE: Defeat Baran]
[+10 points awarded]
[Available Points: 21]
[WARNING]
[Reaper Detection: DORMANT (5 days) → 3 days]
[Detection acceleration increasing with death frequency]
[Recommendation: Minimize deaths or prepare for imminent encounter]
"Piss off," Kurt dismissed the warning and turned back to the basement to deal with something more important at the moment. Mary was still tied to the chair, her body trembling, her eyes filled now with both hope and terror.
Kurt walked over, grabbed the chains binding her wrists, snapping them with his bare hands like brittle wood. He did the same with the chains on her ankles, and Mary collapsed forward into his arms, flinching for a moment at his touch before realizing he wasn't her captor.
"Where's Sam?" Kurt asked with a low and urgent voice despite knowing someone in her current state shouldn't even be speaking.
However, Mary's lips parted, her voice barely a whisper. "Upstairs... his room... end of the hall... third floor... left wing..." Her eyes fluttered, and she went limp.
"Good girl," Kurt caught her, holding her naked, bruised body carefully. He looked at the burns, the welts, the marks of torture covering her skin, and the cold rage from earlier came roaring back.
He carried her out of the basement and set her gently against the wall just outside the door. Then pulled off Baran's suit jacket and draped it over her, covering as much of her as he could.
Kurt took a drag, and looked down at Mary's unconscious face. He crouched beside her and stroked her hair once, gently.
"You just stay right there, love," Kurt said quietly. "I'm off to kill a wobbling sack of pig shit."
He stood, exhaled smoke, and walked toward the stairs with his extended claws still out.
And he had no intention of putting them away.
***
A/N: Laughing Maitreya here. How would you suggest the death of Benji to go?
Your reviews and support let's me know you guys are still following.
Thank you and peace!