The Scavenger’s Sister

As Raziel's flames finally dimmed, Leon took a cautious step forward, keeping his burned hand close to his side. "Good. We're almost out of here," he muttered, glancing toward the narrow path that led further toward the exit. Just as they neared it, voices echoed from ahead.

Leon held up a hand, signaling Raziel to stop. She shot him a glare but nodded, the flickering flames around her hands still simmering as her emotions stirred. He crouched low, pressing his back to the wall as he listened to the scavengers' conversation up ahead.

"...still waiting on the boss," one of them grumbled. "He should've been back by now. Took long enough dealing with those idiots."

"Yeah, you saw how he limped outta there, right? He looked pissed. We're gonna hear about it for sure."

Leon's eyes narrowed, piecing it together. The boss? Limping? That guy we stunned earlier—was that him? His mind flashed back to their earlier encounter. Limping, pissed off... it had to be him.

Raziel edged closer, her curiosity piqued but clearly lacking the caution Leon tried to maintain. "What are they whining about?" she asked loudly, almost stepping on Leon's foot as she craned her neck to see.

Leon shot her a sharp look, whispering urgently, "Will you keep it down?"

Raziel huffed, not bothering to lower her voice much. "What? They're not gonna hear me over all their complaining." Her flames flickered again, a sign of her rising frustration. "Who's the boss they're waiting for, anyway?"

Leon rubbed his temple, trying to keep his patience intact. "The guy we stunned earlier... probably their boss."

Raziel's lips curved into a crooked, amused grin, her voice taking on a mocking tone. "Ohhh, so we already beat their boss? What's the problem then?"

"The problem is," Leon hissed, "if he's still alive, he's going to be out for blood. And if they find us first, we're screwed."

Raziel rolled her eyes, completely unconcerned. "So what? We just pretend to be him. Scare 'em a little, send them running."

Leon blinked, staring at her like she'd just suggested walking into a live trap. "You... want to pretend to be their boss?"

"Yeah, why not?" Raziel smirked, throwing her arms up. "They don't know what he looks like, right? I'll just act pissed off and throw some flames around. Maybe yell a bit. That'll scare them off."

Leon groaned, trying to hold in his frustration. "You seriously think they're going to believe that?"

Raziel shrugged, completely unfazed. "Why not? You saw how jittery they are. I bet they'd freak out if I waved my hands around and pretended to burn stuff."

Leon's jaw clenched. "You can't even control your flames."

"So?" Raziel replied, her tone casual. "They don't know that."

Leon couldn't believe what he was hearing. This is ridiculous. She's going to get us both killed. He ran a hand through his hair, his mind scrambling for an alternative plan, but they were out of time.

Raziel's face lit up with excitement, the flames around her hands sparking dangerously. "C'mon, Scavenger Boy. Let me have some fun with this. I've got nothing to lose, right?"

Leon rolled his eyes. "You do realize this isn't a game, right?"

Raziel grinned, leaning in too close. "You're no fun. I thought scavengers lived for danger."

Leon rubbed his temples. This is a terrible idea.

"Fine," he muttered reluctantly. "But don't get carried away. If your flames go nuts, we're toast."

Raziel threw her head back with a wild laugh, completely missing his point. "Yeah, yeah. No problem, I got this."

The two of them crept toward the scavengers, hiding behind a large slab of debris. Leon watched in dismay as Raziel stood up—no grace, no subtlety—facing the group with her hands already flickering with dark flames.

"HEY!" Raziel's voice boomed across the room, loud and abrasive. "Why are you idiots standing around?"

The scavengers jolted, clearly startled by the sudden outburst. They stared at her, the flames casting eerie shadows around her figure.

One of them muttered, "Is that... the boss?"

Raziel scoffed, flames flaring up without her meaning to. "Yeah, it's me, genius. What, you think someone else could pull off flames like this?" She waved her arms, the flames growing larger, though clearly uncontrolled.

Leon cringed behind the rubble, watching the scene unfold. She's gonna blow this.

One of the scavengers stepped forward, squinting at her. "Boss... you look... different."

Raziel narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "Yeah? Well, maybe it's because I'm mad. You ever think of that?" Her voice grew harsher. "Why are you standing around like morons? Move!"

The scavengers exchanged confused glances. "Uh, boss... you, uh, sure you're okay?"

Leon couldn't help but facepalm. They're not buying it.

Raziel, completely oblivious to their doubt, raised her arms higher, the flames now swirling wildly around her. "I said MOVE!"

The heat from the flames intensified, and Leon could see that they were starting to lose control. He cursed under his breath. Here we go.

The scavengers exchanged confused glances, the doubt clearly growing on their faces. One of them stepped forward, his weapon half-raised. "Boss, you... uh... you okay? You're acting a little... off."

Raziel narrowed her eyes at the scavenger who dared to question her. "Off? Yeah, I'm off because I have to deal with idiots like you! Why are you standing around? I told you to MOVE!" Her voice boomed again, and the flames around her arms flared brighter, crackling with energy she couldn't control.

Leon groaned, muttering to himself, "She's pushing it..."

The scavengers shifted nervously, some of them clearly starting to doubt their instincts. One of them took a step back, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Boss... we... we didn't mean—"

Raziel cut him off with a wave of her hand, the flames licking the air dangerously close to him. "Shut up and MOVE before I fry the lot of you!"

For a split second, it seemed like they might actually fall for it. The scavengers, unnerved by the flames and Raziel's unhinged demeanor, started backing off, clearly not wanting to test whether or not she was serious.

Leon's heart skipped a beat. It's working. She's pulling it off... somehow.

But then, just as the tension began to ease, Raziel's flames flared again—much stronger this time, with dark tendrils of smoke rising into the air. Her eyes widened as the fire crackled out of control, and she stumbled back, clearly struggling to keep it in check.

One of the scavengers noticed the change, his eyes narrowing. "Wait... he can't control it."

Leon winced. Damn it. He could see Raziel fighting to suppress the flames, but the more she struggled, the more chaotic they became. Her arms were engulfed in black fire, and the heat in the room spiked dangerously.

The scavengers, realizing something was off, raised their weapons. "That's not the boss! That's a woman, and she's a splicer!"

Panic spread through the group, and in an instant, all bets were off. "Get her!" one of them shouted, and the others followed suit, rushing toward Raziel with their guns aimed.

Leon swore under his breath, diving out of cover. "Raziel, get back!" But it was too late. The scavengers were closing in fast, and Raziel's flames were spiraling out of control, her panic feeding the fire.

In a desperate attempt to stop the chaos, Leon grabbed for one of the scavenger's weapons, knocking it aside before tackling the guy to the ground. "Damn it, Raziel, pull it together!" he yelled, trying to fend off the others.

Raziel stumbled, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the flames surged around her. "I... I can't!" Her voice trembled with frustration and fear, her lack of control more evident than ever.

One of the scavengers lunged at Raziel, but as he got too close, the flames lashed out violently, licking across his arm. He screamed in pain, stumbling backward as the smell of sulfur and charred flesh filled the air. The burn was deep, unnatural—a dark, corrosive wound that sizzled ominously on his skin, far worse than the first-degree burns Leon had gotten earlier.

Leon caught a glimpse of the scavenger's injury as the man crumpled to the floor, clutching his arm. His brow furrowed. That's not just a regular burn... that's something else.

Before he could dwell on it, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber. A new voice cut through the chaos, deep and commanding. "What the hell is going on here?!"

Leon's head snapped toward the source, his heart sinking as two figures entered the room—one limping, bandaged and furious. The other, a large, imposing figure, stood at his side with a cold, calculating expression. The injured boss from before, still seething from the earlier stun, was back. And now he had backup.

The co-boss stepped forward, his eyes sweeping over the scene—his burned underling, the panicked scavengers, and the out-of-control flames engulfing Raziel. He locked eyes with Leon, his gaze hard and unforgiving. "Looks like you're the ones responsible for this mess."

Leon clenched his fists. Of course. It had to get worse. He glanced at Raziel, who was still struggling to contain her flames, and then back at the two leaders. "It's not what it looks like," Leon blurted, though he knew that wasn't going to help.

The injured boss, his face twisted in anger, pointed at Leon with a shaking hand. "You... you were the one who stunned me!" His voice was a growl, filled with rage. "And now you've got some freak splicer setting my men on fire!"

Leon's mind raced. No way we're talking our way out of this. He subtly scanned the room for an exit, but the two bosses and their remaining scavengers were blocking the way.

The co-boss narrowed his eyes, his attention now shifting to Raziel. "She's the one causing this... chaos, isn't she?" His voice was measured, calculating. "A splicer with out-of-control powers."

Raziel, still barely managing to keep her flames from flaring out again, shot them both a venomous look. "I'm not... a freak," she growled, though her voice wavered with exhaustion. She was losing steam fast.

The co-boss raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You're a liability. And liabilities need to be dealt with."

Leon cursed under his breath. We need to get out of here. Now. His mind raced through options, but every plan he thought of seemed riskier than the last.

The injured boss sneered, pointing at Raziel. "Take her down! I don't care if she's a splicer or some kind of demon. She's done!"

The scavengers, emboldened by their leaders' presence, started closing in again, weapons raised and ready to attack.

Leon's pulse quickened. There's no way we're fighting all of them off. He had to think fast. His eyes flicked back to Raziel, who was barely holding it together. She's spent... but maybe...

An idea flickered in his mind—reckless, stupid, and dangerous. But it was all they had.

Leon took a deep breath, stepping forward between Raziel and the scavengers. "You want her?" His voice was loud, clear, and full of confidence he didn't really feel. "You'll have to go through me first."

The injured boss barked a harsh laugh. "You think you're gonna stop us, scavenger? You've got nothing!"

Leon smirked, though his heart pounded in his chest. "You sure about that?" He glanced at Raziel. "Hey, Splicer Girl, how about giving them a little show?"

Raziel blinked at him, confused and still shaky, but she understood what he was asking. Her flames flickered weakly, but Leon could tell she was struggling to keep them in check.

"C'mon," Leon urged, his voice quieter now. "You don't have to control it—just make it look big."

Raziel hesitated for a moment, then nodded, her lips twitching into a smirk despite the exhaustion. "Fine. But don't cry if this gets out of hand."

She raised her arms, and the flames around her surged, not controlled, but erratic and wild. The heat in the room spiked, and the scavengers instinctively backed off as the dark flames roared to life, casting long, menacing shadows across the chamber.

The co-boss took a cautious step back, his eyes narrowing as he watched the flames rise higher. "Careful," he muttered to the others. "She might be more dangerous than we thought."

Leon, standing close to Raziel, could feel the heat pressing against his skin, but he stayed calm, his eyes fixed on the scavengers. "Still think you can handle this?"

The scavengers hesitated, fear creeping into their expressions. The co-boss and the injured leader exchanged glances, clearly reevaluating their approach.

For a brief moment, it looked like they might back off.

But then the injured boss, still seething with rage, spat on the ground and growled, "I don't care how dangerous she is. She's dead either way."