Making a split-second choice as he ran, Red removed his coat. He never would have done it before, but now it was more of a hindrance. All of the items inside were useless to him, and the red color stood out like a beacon in the green jungle. Red tossed the coat behind a pair of shrubs. With no one else around to be bait, he had to make do alone.
His dusty gray shirt did a much better job of hiding him within the jungle. He took a few more silent strides before ducking behind a pair of fallen branches. Red crouched, waiting for his enemy to make a move. He did not have any cover if someone came at him from the side, but there was little he could do about that.
This pirate needed to go down.
Red did not have to wait long for his enemy to approach. The pirate seemed to be following his clearly defined trail. He paused for a moment, glancing over the edge of the ravine. If he had better positioning, Red would have shot him there. However, his shot was likely to go wild and only prolong their dance.
The pirate stepped forward and slowly raised his gun. His gun was not aimed at him. Instead, he was focused on Red's coat that was tucked in the branches before him. A shot lanced across the clearing, striking the pirate in the upper chest. He staggered back, his arm going limp and his shockblaster dropping to the ground below.
The man attempted to roll, but his body didn't allow it. As he ducked, his legs gave out, and he stumbled over. With nothing to stop his fall, the pirate hit the ground and began to roll down the ravine. His limbs refused to cooperate with the electrical energy coursing through them.
The pirate's body rolled and bounced before reaching the ground far below. He struggled to move, but his body still had a hard time reacting with the energy inside him. Red rose and clicked a lever on the back of his gun. The pirate was too far away at his current settings. If Red were to shoot him now, it would mostly dissipate without doing anything.
His shockblaster whined slightly as his fingers closed on the trigger. The gun kicked back as a super-concentrated bolt of energy leaped forward. It powered through the empty area and collided with the back of the pirate. His body slumped back to the earth. That was the end of him for this fight.
Branches suddenly cracked behind him, and Red whirled in surprise. His attention had been fully fixed on the pirate before him—he had neglected to check his surroundings. His eyes went wide as a teal blade spun downwards towards him. The pirate behind the blade snarled and brought it down with all his might.
Red had not been in many fights before. However, he had learned one thing during those few fights: he had no good way of fighting back when he got stuck in close-range combat. The previous fight in the jungle had gone well until the pirate had changed the manner of the fight. In that case, it had only been luck that kept him alive.
The teal blade glinted through the thin streams of sunlight. Its glow lightened the grey of his shirt as it fell. Each moment brought it one step closer to ending him. He was only slightly turned to the pirate and had no way of getting his weapon up in time.
No matter how much he prepared, it seemed he was doomed to be thrown headfirst into scenarios he wanted no part of. The preparations he had been making were there to prevent himself from taking a step he couldn't go back from.
Killing someone.
Death was permanent after all. Once he made that choice and took that step, that was it. There was no way to revive the dead, and as such, Red had no interest in killing a damn pirate simply because it would make everything easier.
Despite all his proud statements to Zara about the strength engineers possessed, this was not his world. Fighting and killing, facing an enemy with life on the line, all of it was new to him. Red had enjoyed some parts of it, but killing prevented him from backing out if he ever wanted to.
He feared becoming like Derrin. Red didn't blame the man for any of the decisions he had made just yet. However, that didn't mean he wanted to become like Derrin in that regard. His friend was callous when it came to killing, as were most soldiers. Derrin didn't seem to bat an eye when he needed to eliminate the unarmed pirate in front of the tent.
Red didn't want to make that step. He wasn't ready to make that step, at least. Unfortunately, he was never ready when he got thrust into most things.
Despite the sudden situation, Red began to move on instinct. He figured that it was his sea heart responding to his turmoil of emotions. It was burying his sudden anxiety and panic that normally fell over him. The effect wasn't overpowering, but it allowed him to focus on the blade falling to cleave his head off. He stepped backward and slipped on a pile of leaves.
The smothering of his emotions clearly didn't make him a better fighter.
Red felt his leg give out, and he started to go down to one knee. The pirate's blade cleaved through the air, landing in the space between them. For his credit, the pirate didn't even flinch at the missed strike. Instead, he stepped forward and slammed his knee into Red's chest.
Red staggered backward and hit the ground hard. He momentarily tasted blood, but had no time to focus on the flavor of death. The pirate came at him fast and unrelenting. Another strike came down towards him. He was prone and in a perfect position to be finished off. All the pirate had to do was land the strike.
Instead of letting the blade fall, Red threw himself upwards behind the blade's swing. The weapon had decent reach, and as long as the pirate kept him on the opposite end of the blade, he wouldn't be able to fight back. So, Red did the riskiest thing he could think of and tackled the pirate.
The pirate's eyes widened in startlement, but it was too late. The pair went hurtling over the side of the ravine. Red landed on top of the pirate and was sent flying off. He bounced and rolled down the hill, only coming to a stop dozens of feet from the bottom. His body was not a fan of the sudden turmoil. However, he had no time to contemplate his injuries and pains.
Remarkably, he had managed to keep his gun during the tumble. Pushing himself to his feet, Red glanced around for the pirate.
Shit.
Red dove to the side, narrowly avoiding another blow from his crazed opponent. The man was relentless, never giving him time to think or raise his gun. With such close range, it was highly likely the pirate would be able to block a shot. Red rolled and came to his feet.
His gun came up before he registered. The shot happened instantly as electricity exploded against the man's blade with such force that it sent him staggering backward. Red should have realized what that meant. However, his mind had turned to survival, and he didn't process the abnormal power that his weapon was using. Steam rose from his gun that remained unnoticed.
The pirate rushed at him again. However, the blast that had connected with his blade had been powerful enough to shock parts of his limbs. The pirate's swings came more stiffly. Red dodged backward and readied himself. This fight needed to be ended and fast. The longer it went on, the more likely another pirate would appear.
Dashing to the side, Red raised his gun.
The pirate slashed.
Red ducked.
He fired.
The pirate was sent careening backward in a flurry of sparks. The blast was so powerful that it threw Red off his feet. The pirate's blade flickered off, and he crashed onto the jungle floor, unmoving. Red panted, trying to catch his breath from the sudden adrenaline spike.
He had won.
He was alive.