Touch of Evil

Chapter 9 "The Whole of the Law"

Midday; Murdoch, Kevin and Kakureta wander into a firing range, each open carrying their own firearms. Murdoch approached the register and brandished his communicator, projecting a hologram of an ID. The drone at the register scanned over it and beeped twice, opening a door to its' left. Entering the indoor range, Murdoch drew an old Enfield No.2 Mk1 Revolver and stepped into a lane, setting the weapon down on the counter. Kevin sets down a suppressed 1911, while Kakureta brought out a GR-1 Anvil, smiling to the range officer.

Kakureta; "Um, excuse me, Yakuin; do you have eight millimeter Gauss rounds?"

The officer shrugged, perusing the lanes with squinted eyes.

Officer; "Probably. Who all did you bring with you?"

Kakureta; "Oh, that's Kevin-mikata, and there's Murdoch-atama!"

The officer raised an eyebrow, looking to Murdoch at the furthest lane in the room.

Officer; "Murdoch? As in John Bartholomew Murdoch?"

Murdoch peeked his head out of the lane and looked to the range officer, cringing slightly.

Murdoch; "Someone called for me?"

Officer; "Yeah... Murdoch, you're on the blacklist. You're not allowed in here."

Murdochs' concern turned to frustration as he planted a hand on his hip.

Murdoch; "Now, why the bloody hell did you let me in, then? Just who do you think you are?"

Kevin then comes over from his lane, the only one of the three to bring their weapons over.

Kevin; "You got a problem with the boss?"

The officer looked between the three of them before pushing his hands outward, releasing a shockwave of orange plasma that knocked the trio onto their backs. The officer then shapeshifted into Squall, followed by the door into the indoor range and the drone at the register morphing into two more Pholsomians. Murdoch groaned as he sat up, massaging the back of his head.

Murdoch; "Can't do it by yourself, can ya?"

Squall; "I'm big enough to ask for help. Are you?"

Kakureta quickly got to her feet and extended chitinous blades from her arms, pointing her sharpened tail overhead.

Kakureta; "Meiyo no tame ni!"

She turned invisible as the other two Pholsomians retrieved AR-15s from the front of the range, Squall using a plasma cloud to draw the gauss gun to herself.

Squall; "Keep those two occupied, the Quadron is mine!"

Kevin and Murdoch scrambled up and hid behind concrete pillars as the other two Pholsomians opened fire. Murdoch dared to peek around and fire a shot, but one of the Pholsomians fired a couple rounds, striking him in the forehead with one of the bullets. He collapsed onto the ground, and Kevin provided cover fire while Murdoch resurrected himself. Concurrently, Squall went to the other end of the range, holding the gauss gun with one hand and gathering mass in the other, shaping it into a trench knife. Unseen, Kakureta came out from behind one of the pillars and impaling Squall through the back of her head with her tail. Squall stumbled forward onto her hands and knees, taking a moment to reform her face, but Kakureta came back behind her again and stabbed her arm blades into her shoulders.

Squall had no change in her expression as she rotated her head around and kicked her in the gut, causing Kakureta to recoil and drop her stealth. Before she could lunge at Squall again, Squall raised the gauss gun and fired at Kakureta, aiming for her center mass.