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The sound of gunfire echoed to the line of trees that lay to the south and east of Ayane's property, nullified by the canopies and not alerting anyone to the presence of live weapons being fired. Though technically they were outside of city limits, that wouldn't stop the county sheriff or community police from coming after them for the possession of illegal firearms - of which most of the guns in Korban's possession certainly fell under that category under Canada's gun laws.

Kyle, Korban and Kieran, each with their own set of targets - made in the likeness of P.A.C.E troopers - were into their third day training together, although to them the shooting practice was more of a competition between them. When each of them had spent their magazines, they went to check their targets to judge their performances. Kyle was the first to reach his target, lifting it from the post and holding the paper up to the sun to judge the grouping of his shots.

“Haven't lost my touch," he said. “Still can do better though."

Korban was next to see his own target. He smirked as he checked the groupings of his target, all of which were centered around the head before nodding in satisfaction. “All headshots, three of which in the no reflex zone." He remarked in a cocky tone. “Damn, I'm good."

Kieran grumbled as he looked at his target, all six of his shots spread through different parts of the body, with only one hitting a lethal spot. He rolled his eyes at Korban's statement before casting him a bit of a scowl. “Keep gloating, boss. One of these days, you'll find yourself missing your mark."

“Kitty, I used to miss my mark all the time when I first started out." The husky remarked. “How do you think I got as good as I am now?"

“He's got a point," Kyle admitted, walking over and checking Kieran's work. “Practice makes perfect, after all - cliche, I know, but my sergeant said it a lot too." He hummed and looked at Kieran's revolver. “May I?" He asked, holding out a hand for it and offering his Colt C7 - the one he had taken from Korban's arsenal - in exchange.

“Knock yerself out." Kieran answered, spinning the gun along his finger once before handing it to Kyle handle first.

Kyle accepted the revolver, expertly keeping his fingers away from the trigger as he took it and let Kieran take the Colt before facing away and examining the revolver. “Custom frame. Nice. Double-action too," he said, nodding in approval. He popped the cylinder out on the side, and extracted one of the spent ammo casings. “Point three-eight special. Excellent pick," he said. “Slightly less punch than a three fifty-seven but much more manageable on the recoil."

He popped the cylinder back into place, taking aim ahead of him toward where the target used to sit and studying along the sights. “A lot of people underestimate how hard it is to be accurate with handguns," he said. “When in practice, you can safely use it in Single-Action, until you get more accustomed to it. Use your dominant eye to position the sight." He moved to Kieran's side, gently passing the revolver back to him.

“Position the square sight until it is just below the bullseye, then keep both eyes open to improve your depth perception. Let the rear sight blur a little - keep your focus only on the front sight at the end of the barrel." He let Kieran take hold of the revolver again and stepped back, taking back his rifle as he went. “Try also letting your arm curl back with the recoil, then position the sight again - if you fight it, it's just going to numb your hand."

With that, Kyle went to set up new targets for the three, but he stepped aside to let Kieran try first, taking the former marine's advice into account. The cat followed each of the former marine's tips to the letter, loosening up his shoulders as he took aim, focusing on the forward sight and aiming it just below the bullseye. He kept both his eyes open as he took careful aim, then he pulled the trigger.

He let the recoil jerk his arms back once the bullet was fired, then repositioned his gun and took aim again before firing again, and again, until all six of his shots were spent. Kieran then holstered his revolver and went to check his target, smiling proudly when he saw that his groupings were much closer than his previous attempt.

“Nice! I actually even scored a proper no reflex zone kill!" He exclaimed.

“Well whaddya know? He can be taught." Korban remarked with a bit of a snicker.

“Oh fuck you, Korban!" Kieran shouted back at him. “Not all of us are expert marksmen like you!"

“Don't make excuses, kitty. Like the man said, practice makes perfect after all." He retorted condescendingly, making Kieran growl slightly in response.

“Unfortunately, he's right again," Kyle admitted. “You don't stick a gun under your pillow and wake up as Jesse James. You need to work at it, especially with revolvers." He pointed to the pistol in question. “You don't have the luxury of having as many rounds as, say, a Beretta. But you've got more stopping power than any nine millimeter and, depending on the design, revolvers are more accurate, more durable and more reliable than any semi-automatic. If you can make every shot a kill, you won't need suppressive fire."

Kieran smiled a little more after Kyle's explanation, taking a glance back at his gun holstered along his left shoulder and nodding to show he understood. “Ya know, I gotta say… getting these kinda lessons feels refreshing." He replied before shooting a dirty look at his partner. “Better than all the 'experience gathering' I've been forced to adopt because 'someone' didn't wanna take the time to pass on what they learned."

Korban just sneered and scoffed back at Kieran. “You got a problem with how I operate, you can leave anytime, Kitty. I ain't gonna stop you if ya do." He remarked in a somewhat callous tone. “I told you before, I don't trust anyone as far as I can shoot 'em, and I never miss my mark."

“Yea, but this time is different! These guys are tryin' to help us against these fucks tha double crossed us, and they clearly don't have any reason to pull a fast one over us like that Gabriel bastard did." Kieran argued. “You can't keep getting all hung up in the past, man. There are genuinely good people in the world that would take a bullet for you if you'd just let them."

“There are no 'good people' in this line of work, Kitty." Korban spat back, elevating his tone. “It's always been survival of the fittest. Alliances in the Bounty Hunting trade always end in one party backstabbing the other, and it's always best to get to them before they get to you." He added. “You weren't there when it all happened, so I don't expect you to understand, nor do I want you're fucking pity." He added with a growl.

Kyle looked between the two, and the disapproving look he gave Korban spoke volumes. When Kieran scoffed and turned away, Kyle's glower didn't waiver.

“You know, probably a good thing you never joined the military," he said.

“Fuck the military." Korban spat back. “I live by my own rules, and no one tells me otherwise." He added as he drew both his pistols and took aim at his own targets. “Rather get shot a million times in the head before I let some pissy drill sergeant mouth me off…"

“All that proves is that you don't have a thick skin," Kyle stated derisively.

“Oh I've got a thick skin, runaway…" Korban spat back just as derisively.

Much to Korban's disappointment, however, Kyle showed no reaction to his jab whatsoever, completely ignoring him as hoisted his he took aim at his practice target. But before the human could even put his finger on the trigger, a voice called out. “Hold up!"

Kyle and Korban turned, and saw Volcan jogging over to them, phone in hand. “Guys!" He exclaimed. “Obsidian found Devilshade!"

“...I'm sorry, come again?" Korban asked, holstering his pistols and stepping over to the Phoenix. “That copper actually found that elusive fuck?"

“She did," Volcan replied, tapping a button on his phone to put it on speaker. “Okay, 'Sid, tell them what you told me."

“I saw Devilshade in the Industrial Park. I was doing a patrol there when he spotted me," explained the dragoness from the other end “More accurately, we saw each other, but I managed to get away before he could try anything. Good thing, too - I could see exactly what he had planned and it would not have been pretty…"

“Can you find him again?" Volcan asked.

“When we made eye contact, I was able to establish a link to his mind - the same way I did the night I first saw you, Volcan," Obsidian explained. “Unfortunately, I can't risk calling for backup - he has a police radio and he'll know we're coming. But I know exactly where he is - so long as he doesn't go to sleep I can keep my mind locked onto his."

“You can do that?" Kyle asked, impressed.

“I am a telepath," she replied.

“...Where's he heading now?" Korban suddenly asked.

“He's still in the Industrial Park, but he's not going to be there much longer," Obsidian answered. “He's looking for you and your partner."

“For them? He's not looking for us?" Volcan asked.

“Through them he hopes to find out what became of you guys after your fight in the city - he hasn't seen any of you since then, until he saw me," Obsidian replied. “So right now he's not even sure how many of us are left and he intends to carry out a standing order he received from Gabriel Rex. To eliminate Korban and Kieran the moment that he can confirm the targets are all dead."

“So he wants to settle the score, eh?" Korban asked, rolling his head along his shoulders and grinning smugly. “Then I say, let's give the bastard what he wants…"

“Time to put Vinge's plan into action," said Volcan.

“I'll keep tracking him and update you guys via text until you engage."

“Do that, but don't let him see you," Volcan said. “He may stop bothering to look for Korban if he thinks he can eliminate you himself."

“Don't worry. I'm nowhere near him now. It'll take him hours to find me," she assured the phoenix. “It seems he does know where I live though, so I better head to Ayane's once my shift is up. It's not safe at my house."

“Do what you gotta do. Just don't end up in the crossfire when bullets start flying." Korban remarked as he walked past Volcan toward the RV. “Kitty! Knuckle up, it's go time! Gonna need one of those infini-bullet charms of yers!"

Kieran poked his head out of the RV. “Why? What for?"

“'Cuz Devilshade's made his move, and we're gonna cash in on his head before he cashes in on ours."

“...Say no more." Kieran remarked with a nod, disappearing back into the RV as Korban stepped in from the back to re-arm and reload his pistols.

“Alright, 'Sid, we're on our way," said Volcan. “Keep us updated."

“Copy that. Be careful, Volcan - if this man is half as dangerous as his reputation suggests, he's not going to be easy to beat."

“I'll be careful," Volcan promised, and then hung up.

“You want me along too?" Kyle asked.

“Keep that option open. For now, it's Korban and Kieran he's after - we need to keep his focus on them if we're going to trap him," replied Volcan. “You may be our contingency plan if they and I can't beat him."

“You're going too?" Kyle asked.

“We need Devilshade to think the job's done if we're going to draw him in," said Volcan. “No better way than if he sees one of the bodies of the targets, right?"

Kyle's eyebrows lifted and he nodded in approval. “Clever," he said.

“Vinge's plan," Volcan admitted.

“Shit - that guy thinks of everything, doesn't he?" Kyle muttered, shaking his head. “It's scary sometimes."

“I know, right?"

~~~~~

Korban and Kieran, following instructions relayed by Obsidian as she continued to watch Devilshade via her telepathic link, made their way through the city. Halfway to their target, however, they ran into a complication as Obsidian sent another message.

“He's left the industrial park," Volcan relayed, reading his phone. “Looks like he's heading downtown now… Shit, this day of the week there'll be people everywhere. We need to get his attention somehow and draw him away."

“Get his attention, eh?" Korban asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “...I'm thinkin' it's time we put that little trick of yers to work, Kitty." He remarked, glancing at his partner.

“Already?" The cat asked. “But, wouldn't that tip him off that something's amiss? He'd catch on to our plan if we deployed that trick now."

“What trick?" Volcan asked.

“The one where you pretend to be dead." Korban remarked.

“Well, that was the plan, but what trick are you referring to?" Volcan asked.

“Simply put, Kitty's gonna cast an illusion spell he's been workin' on ever since Frosty cooked up this plan." Korban explained to Volcan. “If yer gonna play dead, you gotta look the part too, and if hitting you with my Ice powers was anything to go off of, you lose yer feathers when you eventually kick the bucket, right? What with them pretty much being made of fire."

“Well, yes, they are reactive to my - oh," Volcan said, lifting his head as realization dawned on him. “...It's much more obvious that I'm still alive if my feathers are still bright," he said, looking at his hand. “Devilshade might be aware of this, and if he is, the ruse will fail."

“Exactly." Kieran answered with a nod. “All you need to do is keep still and we'll handle drawing him in. If things get dicey, then you can surprise him from behind."

“He won't get the chance." Korban stated. “I'm settling the score with that motherfucker today and putting him right where he belongs… six feet under in a body bag."

“Then I better keep my head down," said Volcan. “If he sees me before we start, he'll be onto us." His phone beeped again, and he checked the message. “Oh shit!" He said before sliding hastily out of his chair and dropping to the floor. “He's two blocks ahead. He'll see us any second now."

“Cast it now, Kitty!" Korban hissed.

“Right!" Kieran returned, nodding as he pulled out the required tome from his coat and flipping it open to the page containing the spell. He let out a long sigh as he gathered his thoughts, waving his offhand in a wide circle a few times until a series of runes appeared in front of him. He then pushed his arm forward and the runes moved around Volcan, where they began to spin faster and faster until they were all but a blur of arcane energy.

“Aaaaand… Presto." Kieran remarked as he clenched his hand, making the runes shine briefly before they vanished, revealing the Fire Phoenix…without his flames, for lack of a better term. “You now officially look eighty-sixed."

Volcan looked along his arm, seeing his feathers had dimmed. He nodded in approval. “Unnerving, but it'll work," he said.

Korban nodded. “Alright, next step - head out of the city for a body dump. He'll follow."

“Right." Kieran answered.

“Hoohohoho man this is gonna be fun…" Korban remarked with a mischievous grin while Kieran pulled out another tome and cast a levitation spell on Volcan, instructing him to act limp once he was suspended in the air.

A message from Obsidian confirmed that Devilshade had spotted them, and he was on their tail, keeping far enough back that Korban couldn't see him even looking in the side mirrors of the RV. It didn't become clear that they were being followed until they left the city, and a lone headlight appeared on the road a kilometer behind them once the city lights were no longer enough to go by. So far it seemed the infamous hitman was taking their bait…

They took a side road, making sure Devilshade saw them make the turn, and followed the dirt road a few clicks before pulling to a stop by a pig farm. It had all been worked out in advance, choosing a pig farm specifically for the body dump as it was a tactic often used by seedy types, as pigs would eat virtually anything. There was no better way to dispose of evidence.

From there, with their vehicle parked on the side of the road, Korban and Kieran carried out the 'body' of Volcan, made much lighter thanks to Kieran's levitation spell - as they were fairly sure they'd be dragging him otherwise. Volcan, for his part, remained absolutely motionless and kept his eyes closed, playing the role of a corpse admirably.

The headlight of a motorbike approached, and the two got into character, acting shocked to see someone had seemingly stumbled upon them. But out of the darkness, illuminated by his bike's headlight and the lights of the RV, the hooded human appeared, clad as always in his long, padded coat, hands at his sides. He looked at the corpse the two carried, and then lifted his gaze to regard them.

“Seems you were successful after all," he said. “When I couldn't find a trace of you at the scene of your battle, I had begun to think that the phoenixes and dragons had proved too much for you."

“Pff, please. I ain't called the Immortal Bounty Hunter just because it sounds pretty." Korban retorted, lowering Volcan's body before turning to fully face Devilshade. “Poor bastard never even stood a chance once I clipped his wings."

“And the others?" Devilshade pressed.

Knowing they had to stay consistent, as Devilshade had already seen Obsidian alive and well, the two hunters needed to choose their words carefully.

“We only managed to get this guy." Kieran answered, jerking his head to the deceased phoenix. “The others bailed once their big muscle was down. They're probably all scattered about trying to recover from the beating we gave 'em."

“I know where the dragoness is," stated Devilshade. “I saw her earlier this evening, back to life as normal." His eyes narrowed. “Though, that does beg the question…"

Korban felt a sudden twinge in his brain. 'Oh crap… He's starting to suspect…' he heard Obsidian's mental voice. He had to fight hard not to let his surprise show, at how she was communicating with him when she was nowhere near them.

“...She seems to have moved on from the loss of her friend rather well," Devilshade went on. “It has only been a few days since that battle… Remarkable constitution, that one."

“She's a copper, pal. People like them have to stay focused if they wanna snag bad guys off the streets." Korban retorted. “Just like how people like us have to stomach the sight of dead bodies in order to carry out our jobs efficiently…" He added.

Devilshade was silent for a moment, as if considering the words. Before he even spoke, Korban practically felt Obsidian let out a sigh of relief. “A logical conclusion," he admitted. “Women are usually emotional when it comes to loss, but there are exceptions to every rule."

“Exactly." Korban added. “Heh, wow… For once we actually agree on something." He stated with a small chuckle. “Aaaanyway, with that all being said, I have to ask… why are you here, Devilshade…?" He asked, his smirk disappearing into a stern glare. “I already bagged this guy, and there's still the other marks to get at. What's yer angle fer comin' all the way just to see li'l ol' me?"

“...Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Kieran muttered under his breath, scowling slightly.

“Merely to get up to speed," replied Devilshade. “I now know at least one of the targets are down." He started to turn away…

Obsidian's warning came too late, however, when in a snap motion, Devilshade's revolver appeared in his hand and he fired at Kieran. There was a sound like a ricochet as a white shape flashed over Kieran's forehead, and the cat fell onto his back with a grunt. Devilshade cocked the hammer of his weapon again, but his voice spoke with intrigue.

“Magic armour," he said. “It seems you were ready for me after all."

Korban grinned once again, chuckling as Kieran rose back to his feet. “You think we didn't plan for an attempted backstab?" Korban asked. “I've been double-crossed hundreds of times in my career, and considering our little rivalry, it was only a matter of time before you'd point that little peashooter our way." He added, then in a flash, he drew his own pistols and took a potshot from each gun at the human.

Devilshade darted toward the RV before Korban fired, ducking behind cover just as the bullet flew to where he had been a second before. Then the human threw something around the corner, a metal cylinder clattering over the gravel road.

“Grenade!" Kieran hollered, instinctively jumping away from the object as it rolled toward them. Korban quickly kicked his sword off his back, letting it land point first into the ground before he moved behind it as a means to shield himself from the impending blast.

What came however was not a blast, but a flash of light and an explosive sound that left Korban's ears feeling like they were being stabbed with needles. He yelled out from the loud ringing in his ears, stumbling out of his hiding spot and taking aim as best he could at the RV. He felt dizzy though, as his hearing was far superior to that of a normal being's, but was also far more sensitive as well. He wavered heavily as he struggled to keep his arms steady, trying to see where his opponent would strike from next.

With his inability to focus, his shots missed. Yet, Devilshade didn't shoot him. He saw the man rush at him, sprinting at the husky before driving his fist into his gut, and Korban was sent hurtling backward. When he landed, it took Korban a moment to recollect his breath, feeling like he'd just been shot by a cannon.

“Ugh… right. Robotic arm." He groaned, shaking his head as the ringing in his ears died down. He quickly popped back up to his feet and rubbed his stomach a little. “Resorting to fists, are we? Pretty ballsy for a guy like you, even with your little upgrade." He stated.

“The punch was only the delivery," replied Devilshade before he raised his pistol and fired, sending a bullet lancing through Korban's side.

Korban felt the bullet shoot through him, sending pain coursing up his side, but it was nothing he hadn't experienced before. He rubbed his side, seeing his hand come away red with blood and feeling more of it trickle down to his hip… And that's when he noticed something was wrong…

The pain persisted. The blood continued to flow. He looked down at his side, and saw the reason for it. The wound wasn't closing.

“The fuck…?" Korban muttered, the pain now starting to really affect him as he stumbled back, instinctively holding his hand over the wound as more blood dripped out. He brought his hand to his nose and sniffed a few times, his eyes widening in shock when he caught a trace of a scent that wasn't his own blood, and then noticed the needle embedded in his stomach. “Oh shit…"

“Concentrated venom of a Death Stalker Scorpion," stated Devilshade. “Induces severe necrosis in the area of injection. Mixed with an anticoagulant, to stop your blood from clotting." He lifted his pistol again. “I've been ready to kill you since before we ever met, dog."

Korban panted slightly, panic now starting to set in once he understood the situation he was in. Without his regenerative powers, he was rendered as vulnerable as any other normal person Kieran was still out of action, incapacitated by the Flashbang which had blinded and deafened him. Devilshade still had four rounds left in his revolver and he was a crack shot…

Fortunately, there was one surprise left.

Volcan shot upright, and from his palms unleashed a huge gout of fire that lit up the night. Devilshade half-turned in reaction to the light, then away as the flames washed over him. With that, Volcan charged him, rushing the man with the burning coat and seizing his right hand hard enough that Devilshade dropped his pistol. The two struggled, with Volcan forced to get ahold of Devilshade's bionic left arm so that it couldn't be used to strike him. Though the mechanical strength of that limb was a match for him, the rest of the human was not.

After a short struggle, Volcan managed to get a hold of Devilshade's coat, hoisted him off his feet, and threw him through the air like a rag doll. Devilshade landed in a roll, landing on his feet and glaring at Volcan, half of his face illuminated by the light of his motorbike to reveal his gritted teeth.

“So the dog didn't kill you after all," he said. “Why protect him, knowing he was hired to eliminate you?"

“Don't pretend you don't know," Volcan retorted. “P.A.C.E intended to betray him from the beginning! You weren't hired to kill me, you were hired to kill him."

Devilshade narrowed his one visible eye. “Well deduced," he admitted. “But even without the tools I might have used I'm still capable of killing you myself, phoenix."

“By all means, try," Volcan replied. “By now, my friends have found your stockpile of weapons. Even if you beat me, whatever tactics you had planned for the rest of them, they're gone now. Kill me if you can, but you'll never beat the other four."

“You lie."

“Do I?" Volcan asked. “How do you think we knew you were following us, assassin? Or did you forget one of my friends is a telepath? She was reporting your location to us from the start."

Devilshade's eye widened, clearly having not considered such a possibility. He rose to his feet, taking a step back even as he reached into his coat again. “Well played, phoenix," he said before he produced another cylinder. “But even if I can't kill you, I can at least finish my job."

These were his parting words as he threw the grenade, angling it to land next to Korban. In the same motion, he turned immediately to his motorbike, jumping onto the seat and revving the engine to life. Volcan, focused on the grenade, ignored the fleeing assassin and ran over to the still downed Korban as he tried to scramble away from the grenade. Volcan threw himself over the husky, and the grenade went off in a column of fire - an incendiary, washing over the three. Kieran was once again saved by his magic armour, the force of the blast also throwing him some distance away.

Korban, however, felt only the heat coming off of Volcan's body shielding him. The flames of the grenade never reached him, and the fire quickly died out as it was consumed by the phoenix's body. The only sound remaining was the sound of Devilshade speeding away on his motorcycle, fleeing the scene.

Volcan lifted himself from Korban, looking in the direction where the assassin had fled, and then the discarded grenade. “Lucky that wasn't a frag," he muttered before he looked where he had last seen Kieran and shouted for him. “Kieran! Are you okay?!" He called.

“Y-Yea! Still a bit blind and still got a bit of ringing in my ears, but I'm good for the most part!" Kieran shouted back so he could hear himself over the ringing. “Remind me to thank that Vinge guy for his Magic Armour suggestion!"

“Will do!" Volcan replied. “Stay where you are until your sight comes back! Help's coming!"

Volcan turned his attention back to Korban. The husky was looking up at him, puzzled. “...Why the fuck did you do that…?" He asked through grit teeth, still panting from the spreading venom through his body. “That could have been a Frag or Acid grenade for all you knew, and you just… jumped in front of it like a goddamn idiot!"

“It could have. But I can come back from injuries like that, same as you," Volcan stated, looking down at Korban's wound, still flowing with life fluid. “...Or so I thought. I thought you said you could heal from anything?"

“Mother fucker hit me with a mix of scorpion venom and an anticoagulant…" Korban answered. “My body will take care of the venom, but I gotta seal the wound before I bleed out…" He remarked, already lifting his paw away from the wound to channel a bit of his ice powers in an attempt to close the wound.

“That won't work. The blood might not flow out but it won't stop - it'll just pool inside of you," said Volcan, grimacing. “...I can stop the bleeding. But it's going to hurt. A lot."

“Like hell!" Korban growled, looking back at Volcan defensively. “I ain't letting you anywhere near me… Just get kitty over here and he'll do a patch job himself."

“He's blind, Korban," Volcan replied. “Cat's eyes enhance available light when it's dark - can you imagine the kind of damage that Flashbang did to him?"

Korban scoffed, turning his gaze away from Volcan and silently weighing his options. He felt his eyes start to get a bit heavy thanks to the blood loss; he was running out of options at this point. He sucked in a deep breath and held it for a few moments before he lay on his back fully and exposed the wound to the phoenix.

“...You even think about burning any other part of me, there'll be a bullet with your name on it after I heal up…" He warned.

“Korban… I know you don't trust easily," Volcan stated. He reached out one hand to the husky, offering it to him. “But if I don't do this right now, you're going to die. So please, if only for a moment… trust me now."

Korban shifted his gaze back to Volcan, giving him a sidelong glance as he let the phoenix's words sink in. Despite his distrustful nature, the longer he looked up at him, the more he could see how genuine he was being. Something stirred in Korban's chest, reminding him of a time where he could trust others, and that feeling compelled him to at least give Volcan a chance.

Slowly, he lifted his bloodied hand and took Volcan's in a light grasp before closing his eyes tightly. “...Just make it fast."

Volcan nodded, bringing his other hand over to Korban's wound and laying it against his fur. He met Korban's gaze again briefly. “Brace yourself," he said, and then focused on the wound.

Korban felt the pain even before he heard the sizzle, as heat radiated from Volcan's palm and flowed into him, burning flesh. His paw squeezed Volcan's hand in a deathgrip, and he bared his teeth as he tried not to scream against the absolute agony. It felt like minutes, but it was only seconds before Volcan pulled his hand away and the bleeding had stopped. A bare spot was left on Korban's side where the wound had one been, much of the fur having burned away.

“G-Gaaah, mother fucker!!!" The husky eventually screamed through grit teeth once the wound had been cauterized, fighting the urge to roll onto his side or touch it with his other hand. He panted heavily as he fought through the pain, squeezing an eye open to glance back at Volcan. “I said make it fast!"

“That was five seconds - that was as fast as I could do it," Volcan said. “Now, just lie still and wait it out. The others are on their way."

With that, Volcan laid Korban gently on the ground, and even found a blanket to cover him with, before he went to help Kieran who was still unable to see. He led the cat back to the RV and seated him in the passenger seat, checking his eyes - although he admitted he couldn't really tell what kind of damage might have been done. All the while, Korban watched the phoenix, caring for and watching over both of them until they heard the rumble of another vehicle - Lighris' truck, coming up the road toward them.

All throughout that time, Korban replayed the phoenix's actions in his mind over and over. He had jumped into the fight and engaged Devilshade, when he could've just stayed down and kept playing dead. Not to mention his following actions to protect and even save Korban. All knowing that there was nothing in it for him.

'...That crazy bastard actually put his life on the line for me, despite the fact I tried to kill him twice over…' He thought inwardly, staring up at the sky. At one point, his thoughts wandered back to the firing range, where he and Kieran had their argument about trust in front of Kyle. '...Can't believe I'm even admitting this… but maybe Kitty's right for once. That flamebrain could be handy in a pinch…'

For once in his life, ever since the day his trust in others had broken forever - or so he thought… Korban truly felt like he'd found someone he really could depend on besides himself…

Back at Ayane's, the red dragoness - kneeling beside Korban where he lay on a table, applied a salve to the burn that still remained on his side, though it was visibly starting to heal even before her very eyes. The neurotoxin had run its course, purged from his body by his still impressive healing capabilities, but burned flesh took longer to heal. Before long there would be no trace it had ever even happened.

“Well, it seems your body will do the rest on its own," she said, putting the lid back on the bottle of salve she'd been using. “You lost a lot of blood though, so better take it easy until your body replenishes it - we don't know your blood type even if someone here could offer a transfusion."

“Better that way. I don't even know my own blood type either, and besides, I like to keep my genes one of a kind if you don't mind." Korban answered defiantly. “Just gimme a day or two and I'll be right as rain."

Ayane rolled her eyes. “Why do so many people think that blood transfusions alter blood type or even rewrite DNA?" She asked aloud, throwing out her arms and shaking her head as she left the husky to himself, heading to put the medicine and first aid supplies away, muttering about biology.

“I dunno. You're the science whiz, lady. I'm just a gun fer hire." Korban retorted, grinning smugly for a moment, then his expression softened a little as he voiced his next question. “...On that note, how's Kitty lookin'?"

“Kyle's tending to him so you'll have to check with him," replied Ayane. “They should still be out in your little motorhome."

“Well, considering I'm still kinda bedridden right now, I guess it'll have to wait until I can walk without feeling woozy." Korban remarked.

“Need a hand?" A voice piped up from beside Korban, and he turned to find Volcan walking over, having entered the workshop without either him or Ayane noticing.

“...Nah. You already helped me once, and I don't like owing favours." Korban answered dismissively as Volcan approached. “Besides… I have a reputation to uphold, after all."

Volcan shrugged. “I'm just a street musician, who sometimes plays music in a bar with a consistent but small clientele - who am I going to rat you out to?" He asked, matter of factly.

“Not the…ugh, nevermind." Korban rolled his eyes away from the phoenix, letting a silence fall over the both of them for a few moments before he spoke up again. “Hey… Volcan, was it?" He asked absently. “...I guess I owe you thanks fer what you did, despite it being incredibly fucking stupid."

Volcan shrugged again. “Stepping in to save a life is how I ended up in P.A.C.E's crosshairs to begin with," he said. “So why stop now?"

“Because you've got your own fuckin' life to worry about, never mind other peoples'." Korban retorted, turning his head back to look at the phoenix. “What good are you gonna be to your pals if you wind up dead because of your own lack of self-preservation instinct?"

“What good am I to them if they end up dead because I didn't step in?" Volcan asked, crossing his arms.

“I'm not saying don't step in, I'm saying think before you do." Korban reiterated, pushing himself up on his elbows with some mild effort.

“There wasn't time to think," Volcan cut him off. “Had I been one second later that incendiary would've cooked you like a holiday turkey, and with your healing already stunted I'm pretty sure that would have killed you."

Korban snorted, trying to keep his dignity by offering another solution. “I still had a play left, or did you ferget about my 'empathic' giant ass hunk of metal that responds to my beck and call?" Korban asked rhetorically,

The husky was selling, but Volcan was clearly not buying, his arms crossed and one brow arched as if to say 'what would that have accomplished?' Korban sighed heavily. “Look, the fact of the matter is my point from before still stands. You're too trusting toward me. I tried to kill you twice and despite not having any reason to turn on me, you still should be wary of me and my antics. I am a bounty hunter motivated by money, after all."

Volcan rolled his eyes. “If you think that's enough for me to judge you, then you have a lower opinion of yourself than any of us have of you," he said.

Those words struck a chord with Korban, making him flinch and briefly glare at the phoenix before he forced himself to calm down. He lay on his back again and looked up to the ceiling of Ayane's home, sighing heavily.

“...You have no idea what betrayal can do to someone…" He began, his expression saddening slightly. “It's one thing to have clients try to double cross you, but when people you put your trust into start pulling the same shit, it really dulls yer expectations in life to the point where it doesn't even matter anymore… I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, after my last partner tried to bury me six feet under, I tried to off myself several times because I just couldn't handle it anymore… The only reason I'm still alive today is because of my enhanced powers and healing factor."

He then turned to glance at Volcan again. “What I'm tryin' to say is… I don't want you to end up like me."

Volcan listened attentively to Korban's words, taking them in and hearing the pain his voice carried when he spoke. The phoenix grimaced, his gaze falling away for a time before he found a response to give. “You're right. I don't know what betrayal is like, or the damage it can do," he said. “But I do know this much. Loneliness also can do things to you. We're all social creatures, no matter how introverted we may become. Sooner or later, if we don't open up, it turns us into something else - into something or someone we aren't."

He looked at Korban as he spoke. “And, I think you know this yourself."

“Pff… I crossed that line several years ago, Flamie." Korban responded. “...Or at least, I thought I did…"

“If that were true, then you wouldn't still be here," said Volcan, smiling. “And, you wouldn't have a partner who's been so patient with you, despite how much you keep trying to push him away. There's still a part of you that wants to trust people, Korban. That wants to have someone you can count on. But you won't find that if you go through life assuming they're all going to leave you in the end."

At that, Korban managed a small smirk, attempting to make light of the phoenix's words. “Well I mean… they will eventually, right? No one's immune to the Grim Reaper." He remarked before he began chuckling slightly.

“True," said Volcan. “But for those of us who live a little longer than others…" He snorted a laugh. “Or, a lot longer than others. Well, we need to enjoy the time we get."

“...Yea. I guess we do." Korban admitted, allowing himself a small smile before he sat up again, motioning for Volcan to help him to his feet.

Without a word or even a knowing look, the phoenix stepped over to let Korban lean on his shoulder and use him for support, putting an arm around his waist to keep the husky upright. They took slow steps toward the door, Volcan taking most of the husky's weight as he waited for feeling to return to his legs, and they left the workshop quietly…

“...I still owe you one, Flamie." Korban finally said once they were outside.

“I'll collect debts when this fight is over," he said. “Devilshade may be out of the picture now, but he was just the tip of the iceberg."

“No doubt he'll warn those fucknuggets at P.A.C.E. about my apparent defection too." Korban added. “Ah well… stealth and subterfuge was never my style anyway. I've always been a guns blazing kinda guy."

Volcan chuckled. “I have little doubt there'll be plenty of that to go around too," the phoenix remarked.