The mood felt like an old western movie come to life, despite the sporadic passing of vehicles on the road, two bitter enemies in brutal conflict locked eyes with anticipated violence ready to explode, the only thing separating them was a road, one of them was in shock, while the other monologued.

"Waylaid by a brigand." The man know as firebomber spoke, his voice carried over to Ali as he stepped out from behind a tree across the road, his eyes were bloodshot, other than that not a mark was on him, nor a hair out of place. He looked different in the daylight, straighter more square jawed like an older black haired poster boy for a rock band, if Ali was honest he was more threatening in the early hours of the morning when they fought, now across from her wanted by the law, hated by her. Yet he still looked like he was winning a chess game.

"...but then I have to make allowances for the uniquely unexpected. Years at my work not even feeling like work but more like a hobby and life was grand, I wasn't dancing the night away but i was conformable."

"Now all that's gone and for what? I was minding my own business and then out of nowhere I get tackled through a door and attacked, and now I'm the one that's on the run from the law. That's too unfair"

Both of Ali's hands were at her sides, his were hidden in the folds of his thick brown coat, another backpack snugly on his back, like the one that started the fire and let him escape.

"I'll ask you Miss Thornhill, how's a man out to make himself an honest dollar to deal with violence acted against him?" The firebomber said talking over the passing cars not taking an eye off her.

"You more than had it coming! You talk about your business but what about mine? I worked too damn hard to build what I have just to let someone try and burn it all down. So yeah! If you come at me or mine I'll beat you like a breakfast egg!"

Ali felt her anger toward the man before her burn the same as his did for her, the encounter earlier that day seemed to unhinge something within him, both of their eyes locked in anger not even noticing the vehicles passing between them. Ali moved forward.

"Now before I do what I came here to do I have one question, just answer honestly and we'll both be happy. Well me....I'll be happy." There was a bulge in his pocket she finally noticed it as he took a few steps closer, the road still between them, there wasn't any rush with his steps more of a certainty of what was going to happen.

"You tried to burn down my home, my business....my life. And you want me to cower and answer questions?" Ali found her voice was growing louder with every word, her heart beat like a drum, louder than she had ever heard in her life, she was scared that she was having a heart attack or maybe a stroke, but regardless of that her anger made her take another step and suddenly she was across the road from with the arsonist in that instant.

"Well that answers my question...." his hand twitched for a moment like a quick draw artist of old, a gun at hip level was pointed and ready to fire. "....not how you found me but it does answer...."

Ali noticed his hand pulling out something metallic, her breath caught in her throat as she dashed as fast as he pulled the trigger, the distance between them blurred as she stepped, launching herself into the air her hand coiled into a fist, cocked back ready to punch.

Both missed by inches.

They both moved like they were locked in a dance, he moved backward and to the left, shooting again in quick succession, while ali moved forward to the left away from gun fire trying to circle him with quick steps..

She was too close, moving far too fluid for him to aim properly. So he didn't, the gun angled down no longer aimed directly at her head or chest, his stance lowered as his eyes narrowed, he took a half breath waiting for her to step closer he twisted his body like a spring tightening and fired.

Blood flew.

Everything stopped for a moment, even the cars that were going by all seemed to be backed up and away with people hiding.

Ali looked down at the blood on the road, her blood, she looked at it and at the hole in her stomach.

The gun came up, its owner smiling as he fired.

The Arsonist eyes widened, not because he missed a shot at near point blank range, not because of the hands that were firmly around his throat raising him off the ground like he was nothing but a feather in the wind but because the eyes that now looked at him, they were brown just moments before but now they looked purely and utterly alien.

Two rings of gold set in black looked at him, studying him, viewing him like he was something akin to an insect. Analysing, measuring and finding him wanting.

Like he was little more than an ant.

The firebomber's face started to darken as his six foot body was held aloft by Ali's slightly shorter figure like she was hanging clothes on a line.

His legs kicked as he struggled for both breath and leverage, his gun hand came up to her head again while his other hand went to his pocket pulling out one of his lifelines.

The gun rang off as he flew backwards through the air like a doll tossed by a child.

His shot went poorly, the bullet had hit her in the shoulder missing her head as she threw him away.

The man landed badly but well enough to roll to his feet. He raised his gun slowly above his head as she turned her head to the side perplexed by his actions, then with a grin spreading across his face he raised his other hand and showed her a ring on is finger with a pin attached, the finger pointed down at her feet. Then in one fluid motion the arsonist dived behind a nearby tree.

Ali looked down at the tarred now blood covered road, the arsonist left a grenade at her feet.

Her eyes narrowed as the grenade exploded.

----------------------------

[Finally she awoke. Many manthings hovered around her smelling of panic and worry not just for themselves but curiously for her.

Which she found odd on many levels. But she pushed these thoughts aside just like she did the metal tube that she impacted.

Skittish, manthings were always fidgety creatures from the moment she pulled herself free, most of the manthings ran away while others pointed objects at her. Like she would let them remember her glorious presence, she wasn't vain or foolish enough to allow manthings or anything else that might inhabit this place to know the full scope of her domain, so she made sure to erase her tracks both physically and mentally.

It drained her but needed to be done. Rain fell from a gray cloudy sky suddenly the area was in silence except for the raindrops hitting diffrent surfaces around her, water overtook the surroundings as the rain fell harder on the road blanketed area and on the minds of the manthings there.

The rain lasted only minutes then stopped slowly after it had done it's job. Covering the tracks of her presence. She watching as the man things slowly went back to their metal tubes or just looked up blankly at the still drizzling rain but they were no longer her problem.

She now focused on the most important thing, her adversary who played with thunder and fire was finally giving her a proper challenge. Now that she finally had control, so much time trapped in the dark almost not existing but for flashes of wakefulness.

She still heard the other making angry wails of a puny child but it did not understand the importance of her awakening, so she granted in her magnanimity the child to bask in her greatness, it might even stop the wailing. Though there was one thing the child was right about, the interloper invaded her territory not once but twice, attacked her dwellings and now committed the worse crime of all, running away.

She had no problem with a creature fleeing combat from her as most would but the interloper challenged and then ran into the woods before any real combat could begin.

A growl excaped her lips.

If it did not want to face her honorably but to strike from the shadows she would no longer treat it like an enemy, she would treat it like prey.

In either path she would get some enjoyment if not from the thrill of battle then from the chase of cunning prey.

She walked into the woods. ]

The hunt began.