Stand Off

[Oswin Bernerd McGuinness]

***Please read Back in the Habit first**

“You don’t have to do this”, Tim yelled.

The two men stood, roughly twenty paces apart. The afternoon sun glimmered off of Tim’s sunglasses as the crowd of the town dispersed. With Westminster Abby to his back, the bearded man yelled, “This is the only way that it shall happen, comrade, dragging my carcass through the streets.” In a thick Russian accent.

All was silent aside from the shrieks of the few still dispersing town members. The wind gently blew through the streets, rustling about the grey topcoat Tim wore. The man stood on the steps, two revolvers drawn, clenching the grips. Ready, Tim still with the MK2 drawn, armed and at his side and his thumb resting on the same side of his gun belt. In the back, members of Scotland Yard held off the few members of the crowd that hadn't dispersed.

The seconds past as the minute hand on Big Ben ticked ahead, the air stiff with tension. At the blink of an eye, then man yelled and fired. At the sound of the yell, Tim flicked his thumb down as he raised his side arm. The high pitch wine of the macro steam turbines filled the air as the high compression steam canister was engaged. A quick shimmer of like floated around Tim’s body as the protection barrier density supplied by his gun belt increased. Steam exhaust from the turbines escaping the coat as he fired at the man on the steps. The beam of energy escaped the tip of Tim’s weapon and flew through the air, a bullet colliding with the outer edge of the barrier at the same fell to the ground as the inertia was dispersed through the barrier.

The man at the top of the stairs fell to his knees and the pistols clanged to the ground. A haze emanated from the cauterized hole in the man’s torso as he turned to ash. The large wooden doors of Westminster Abby smoked as the ash cloud dissipated with the sound of the shock stricken crowd.

Tim dipped his head as he holstered his side arm and tapped his belt buckle to power down the protection barrier, letting out a sigh.

“You didn't have to do that”