Heart racing with an odd mixture of anxiety and exhilaration, he slid through the darkness toward his goal, stopping right where the blazing lights were swallowed by the gloom.

Flashing an icy smile he was almost certain his enemies couldn't see, hidden under an apartment building awning, less than fifty yards away from his target.

He resisted the urge to make a few quick kills as orc after fleeing orc popped out of the darkness, racing toward their supposed sanctuary, welcomed by the newly risen Chief Blacktooth with back claps and hurried commands.

He could all but taste how sweet the kills to come would be.

Two seconds.

Just two seconds to summon glittering bronze cannons nestled in a pill-box like fortification of undead lizard that by this point was as tough as petrified Redwood. And perhaps his foes would be afforded a single eyeblink of surprise before Eric unleashed holy hell upon them, transforming even level 20 champions to crimson paste at what was, for cannons, most definitely point-blank range.

Because he couldn't help wondering if even this was part of a machiavellian ploy to reveal their saboteur at all costs. Because if it was Eric, bold enough to declare himself chief, just waiting for any would-be assassin to claim his head, he damn well would have assassins waiting to take him down, once the first arrow was fired.

That thought more than anything else froze him for long, perilous moments, before he immediately twisted and dove for the nearest alleyway before smashing open a service entrance door, shield first, as he darted for a winding staircase and raced for the top of the old fashioned apartment building.

Racing footsteps only fading to a soft, quiet tread as he neared the rooftop landing, the door opening without a single creak as he slipped outside with a tumble, making full use of his 36 Perception and Infravision to scope out the nearby roofs, even as he summoned forth a 3-foot-high rampart for cover, much like the one he had used when challenging the chieftain.

“Bingo,” he whispered to himself, feeling a curious mixture of exhilaration and fear when he caught sight of not one but two Javelineers, deathly still with javelins raised to strike, just waiting for a sucker like him to reveal himself to the world below, before unleashing their deadly armor-piercing weapons in tandem.

And if one of those were to strike even his partially reinforced helmet…

Eric shuddered at the thought. Glad as hell that he had allowed his obsessive worry to take full control.

After all, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get you.

It was with a certain amount of fierce satisfaction that he drew a bead on the closest Javelineer, seeing a pock-marked cold-eyed man who looked every inch the savage predator, waiting for his kill.

Eric allowed the tension in his muscles and bow to build and build.

Build to the point his arms were beginning to tremble.

Eric knew he was playing with fire in more ways than one, with the way he had built up so much tension in his bow that it was just an iota away from rupturing like a gunshot. Only then did he finally release an arrow utterly free of any flame.

The air cracked with the sound of a gunshot as his opponent was jerked off his feet, quick enough to turn, despite the massive cavity now in the center of his chest, looking Eric’s way with wide, frightened eyes as he fell to his death.

You have successfully slain Level 17 Javelineer! Experience earned!

You have achieved 96% of your personal goal!

Quickness check made!

But Eric was no fool.

He had already ducked and rolled, even as his doubly reinforced bulwark was perforated with javelin after javelin, three vicious barbed missiles exploding into his defenses, the still quivering weapons having burst through lizard defenses twice as thick as the one he had used before, making it clear that his final opponent was a deadly killer indeed.

And Eric didn't hesitate to touch all three javelins, plopping them into storage as the night below roared with sudden shouts as the javelineer corpse crashed at the feet of the would-be chieftain and his advanced-class thugs.

Eric was smart enough not to immediately pop his head out from cover, chilled by how fast his opponent had reacted to what was, after all, just a whisper of shadow in the gloom, some distance away from their fallen partner.

How high was their Perception, or just their Speed, to react so quickly to such limited information?

Eyes gifted with infravision quickly peered out the holes his opponent had so thoughtfully left, and much to his relief, he effortlessly made out his opponent, javelin raised high in one hand, shield in the other, peering intently through the darkness, looking for a target she clearly couldn’t see.

Eric’s eyes widened as his heart jack-hammered even as he sensed trouble heading his way.

Second bulwark successfully constructed. Stair trap ready!

Forced to face the one type of opponent he never ever wanted to be forced to fight to the death against.

A human girl, no older than he. Strong noble countenance and gently slanted eyes bespeaking what he was almost positive was a Native American heritage, her graceful features now filled with something Eric was all too certain was terror.

A young woman fearing for her life.

And instead of being her hero…

Eric would be her executioner.

It would be nothing to shoot her well-endowed chest, only lightly armored, all her focus on the shield pivoted for balanced throwing, not warding, in that careless panicked moment that could cost the girl absolutely everything. All her hopes and fears, everything she had ever dreamed of becoming… the college-bound idealist she might have been … the ruthless killer she might have been forced to become… all of it ended in the blink of an eye.

All Eric had to do was take the shot, and he was home free.

He knew that, just as surely as he knew the taste of the bile welling up in his throat.

“The hell with that!”

Eric swallowed, knowing he was playing the fool. Knowing that if this were a game, he’d be screaming at his character to fucking act like the ruthless badass he now envisioned himself as being, or Mayor Stibb’s bitter lessons would have meant absolutely nothing.

He sighed, shaking his head.

Because no matter how gleeful a psychopath he liked to pretend he was when hunting pigs… he’d never be such a monster as to cut down a girl in cold blood.

A girl he would most definitely have been crushing on, hard, if he had actually had the guts to leave home, get a studio of his own, and run into her in Community College, finally claiming a life of his own.

“Why are you doing this?”

He winced, unable to believe that he had actually said it, even as he slammed his stupid helmed head to the ground, terrified of the spine cleaving javelin that was never thrown.

Because the only thing more shocking than that he had actually said the words instead of just slinking into the night, were the soft words said in response.

“Because Blacktooth has my baby.”

Eric swallowed. “Shit,” he said.

Words that earned a bitter chuckle. “Yup, pretty much. My baby girl and my abuela are both counting on me. As they have been since the day I got knocked up, and my mother lost her job.”

“I’m sorry.”

The girl sighed. “So am I. If I want to see my family alive ever again, Blacktooth has to survive the night. That’s the deal.”

Eric took a deep breath, knowing there was only one thing he could say. “So, what say we rescue them?”

Eric winced under the weight of disbelief he could all but taste, even as he sensed roaring orcs pounding up the stairs, and no doubt other buildings as well.

“Are you serious?”

Eric nodded. Then spoke. “Yeah. You know what? I am.”

“Damn, you just made it so much harder to justify killing you.”

“Good!” Eric quipped. “I try to make a point of staying firmly on people’s ‘do not kill list’ as much as humanly possible.”

“Really?” He could sense her sarcastic smile. “That’s why you’ve basically declared war on the entire damned tribe?”

“Well, there’s that,” he admitted. “On the plus side, if you were to, say, slip out the southwestern corner and surrender your weapons, the elves will escort you, free of penalty or censure, right to Freetown.”

“And you know this because you represent the elves?”

“I know this because I’m the one who forced the deal. I knew at least a couple Javelineers who were here because they felt trapped. Not because they actually like working for psychopathic man-eating slavers.”

The girl gave a bitter chuckle. "Always a plus, when you have your pick of employers. My name's Erica Lightfoot, by the way."

Eric blinked. “Seriously?”

“Well, yeah. Why?”

“Because we have the same name.”

“Erica Lightfoot?” she said with a certain amount of disbelief.

“Not exactly,” he said with a smirk, turning to catch sight of flashing steel and a snarling porcine face with a dozen equally ugly steel-clad bruisers right behind them, all of them roaring in victory as they caught sight of Eric gazing back at them.

“Hold on a minute?”

“Sure.”

The night erupted with the roar of cannon fire. One round from a single bronze cannon on a supportive platform of lizard hide and bone, because Eric had no idea if the apartment roof could support anything more than that.

And still, it was enough.

You have obliterated 9 Orc Recruits and 1 Level 25 Stone Ward.

Mad Bomber Title Perk in effect! You have earned 15% of base potency for all artillery kills!

Eric turned his attention back to the strikingly beautiful young mother he didn't have the heart to kill once he plugged up the now obliterated rooftop landing entrance, ignoring the gurgling screams of a handful of mutilated orcs below. "Actually, my name's Eric Silver. Not a perfect match, but it's kind of similar to yours, don't you think?"

The girl furrowed her brows, soft brown eyes that Eric could see so clearly squinting in what was, for her, a cloudy night, a good hundred feet away. “Did you just fire a cannon and obliterate a shit-ton of orcs?”

Eric shrugged. “Maybe?”

"Nice."

"Thanks. But seriously. I'd far rather ask you out on a date than have you gunning for me. Or… would it be... javelining for me?"

She smirked at that. “Cute.”

"But you got responsibilities, and family is a beautiful thing. So what's say we rescue your kid, get you to Freetown, and when this shit blows over, I take you out on a date? We'll even rescue your abuela, so she can watch the little one. Because nothing says 'I love you' like free babysitting, am I right?"

Erica gazed Eric’s way for long moments. “You can’t be serious.”

Eric shrugged. “Why the hell not? Your kid’s being held hostage by cannibalistic savages. And I’d far rather be her hero than the monster who took her mother away.”

Erica swallowed and lowered her gaze. “And you could kill me any time you wanted to. Summoning cannons like a high level god-knows-what, any time you like.”

Eric smirked. “Sure. But the experience you get for using external energy sources, like gunpowder, is complete shit. So I’d rather avoid that. Besides, I’m a big believer in being able to sleep at night, and your death on my conscience? Nah...that would be insomnia for years. Not worth whatever experience taking out one of my own kind, which I really hate doing, would bring me.”

“I totally agree,” she said with a smirk, both of them ignoring the would-be orc chieftan roaring for the assassin’s head.

Erica gazed thoughtfully at the bulwark Eric nonchalantly leaned against. “Do you really think you can pull it off?”

Eric frowned thoughtfully, gazing down at the now nervous-looking Black-tooth, 36 Perception making out exactly what was being said.

"That bastard, whoever he is, took out Graht and a dozen underlings."

“Graht’s a Level 25 Stone Ward. He should have crushed that elven bastard!”

"Sorry, bossman."

“Hasn’t the wench killed him yet?”

“I think she’s trying to scare him off.”

“Well, she damn well better, if she wants to see her cub again!”

Erica glared down at Black-tooth. “Fucking bastard,” she hissed, before turning Eric’s way. “You’re on. How the fuck do we free my kid? And call me Rica, by the way.” She swallowed, gazing at him with a vulnerability that brought a pang to Eric’s chest. “All my friends do. And if you’re really willing to risk yourself to save my baby… well, you got a friend for life, Eric Silver.”

Eric swallowed, knowing it was probably desperation more than anything else, but still, he was humbled by her willingness to trust him. He could only hope and pray it was genuine, and not a feint of her own.

“Thank you for believing in me… Rica. As to how we’re going to save your little one, it’s by doing exactly what that asshole hopes will happen. I'll go touch base with a few elven friends. See if I can arrange a truce. You can tell chief asshole that I've fled, for now."

Eric met the girl's anxious gaze. "And whatever you do, make sure you and your family stay off the rooftop rampart."

“Why?”

“Can you say Fourth of July?”

She blinked. “You’re kidding.”

Eric slowly shook his head. "Things might get very, very, messy. I just need to know that you and your kid and your grandmother are off the rooftop.”

Rica paled, before giving a shallow nod. "Blacktooth promised we could go back home, with an escort, of course, ha ha, if you're dead. I'll tell him you're interested in working out a deal."

Eric nodded. “The deal will be for them to leave with their lives. If they refuse… well, between you and me, I have the firepower to back up any threat I make. Now I just need the elves to agree to the carrot part of this arrangement.”

Rica furrowed her brows. “That bronze cannon was pretty damn impressive. But do you really think you can take out the whole hoard by the entrance before they scatter, encircle you, and cut you to pieces?"

Eric winked. “You’re assuming I’m just limited to one.”

She stared at Eric for long moments. “Fuck. What the hell is your class, and how do I get it?”

Eric laughed at that. “Great question. Maybe I’ll fill you in on all the details… on our second date.”

Rica smirked, her eyes twinkling in the darkness. "So certain I'll want to see you twice?"

He grinned. “I certainly hope so. But first thing’s first. Earning your undying gratitude so you’ll put up with my awkward ass when I’m actually trying to impress you as anything more than, well...”

"A savage, bloodthirsty killer?"

Eric sighed. “Hopeless, right?”

She shrugged. “Not like I can talk, Eric. Not like I haven’t wanted a fresh start or two in my life either.”

Eric nodded. “To fresh starts,” he said, tossing her a full brace of javelins across the considerable gap between them that she effortlessly caught, both of them exhibiting superhuman stats as casually as he would have caught a snack bar his sister might have tossed from across the room.

He knew there was no better time to disappear into the darkness.

But he had to ask.

“Rica...”

“Yeah?”

“The guy I...”

“The guy you dropped with a single shot, like 17 levels meant nothing?”

Eric swallowed. “Um… yeah. Was he, well...”

"Important to me? An honest, upright guy whose own family was being held hostage by monsters, a loving father whose wife will be in tears when she finds out he was killed just as casually as someone snuffing out a candle."

“Shit,” Eric whispered, wishing he hadn’t said a word.

She smirked. “He was in it for the gold, Eric, eager to kill you to get in good with the new chief. When he wasn’t busy ‘accidently’ spearing poor slaves who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was a drunken asshole who was always bragging about all the girls he had in chains, as his personal slaves who liked to… service him.” She flushed and glared. “The only ones who could stand him were a handful of assholes just as crazy as he was, who liked living like homicidal slavers. He was a psychopathic piece of shit I almost challenged more than once. But if I had lost to him...”

“Your daughter would have had no one to protect her, save for a vindictive asshole who would have delighted in making her life a living hell."

Rica clenched her jaw, jerking a nod. “You got it, Eric. Sophia comes first. No matter how much I hate the things I’ve had to do, or how galling it was, pretending that I didn’t despise that slimy bastard, laughing at his stupid sick jokes so he’d see me as a ‘friend,’ and not shank me the moment my back is turned… I’d do it all a dozen times over. Because my child always comes first.”

“As it should be,” Eric said, feeling incredibly relieved, and lucky, that the man he had killed without a second thought was well and truly a bastard who most definitely had it coming.

Because he so easily could have been a decent guy caught in a no-win situation, just like Rica.

Eric nodded. “Good. That’s…” he sighed. “I’m glad to hear it. Alright, I’ll see what I can arrange just, um...”

“Don’t spear you the moment you return?” she smirked. “I won’t. Scout’s honor.”

Eric laughed. “Good enough for me. See you soon, Rica.”

She grinned back, on the cusp of saying something before furrowing her brow and shaking her head, Eric already one with the shadows as he darted from rooftop to alleyway to sewer tunnel, Level 11 Stealth so utterly saturated he felt it like an oncoming migraine in the back of his head. Yet despite all that, he only dared to enter his sanctuary when he was well and truly certain that no one was at his back.