The Scavenger’s Sister

The injured boss snarled, his patience long gone. "I'm done with this!" He reached to his side, drawing a sidearm with a smooth, practiced motion. His finger twitched on the trigger, and before Leon could react, the shot rang out, the bullet screaming through the air.

Leon's heart skipped a beat as the bullet whizzed past him, aimed directly at Raziel's head. "Raziel!" he shouted, instinctively moving to block the shot.

But before he could reach her, something else happened.

The flames surrounding Raziel surged violently, forming a flickering, protective bubble around her just as the bullet reached its mark. The dark flames flared, deflecting the bullet with a sharp, metallic ping. The projectile ricocheted off the barrier, embedding itself harmlessly in the wall behind her.

The air crackled with the intensity of the flames, and Raziel's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't meant to do that. Her protective bubble had flared up instinctively, saving her life before she even realized what was happening. She blinked, momentarily stunned, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to process what just happened.

Leon stared, equally shocked. "What the...?"

The boss, still holding his gun, was frozen in place, his eyes wide with disbelief. "No... way." He glanced at the co-boss, his mouth twisted in fury but also disbelief. "Did you see that?"

The co-boss, who had been watching carefully, stepped back, eyes narrowed in wary calculation. "She... deflected it."

Raziel, still recovering from the surprise of her own power, clenched her fists. The flames flickered and twisted around her, the bubble pulsing with energy she still couldn't fully control. Her breathing was ragged, her body trembling from the strain of keeping the flames in check.

The injured boss gritted his teeth, refusing to back down. "I don't care what kind of trick you're pulling. That's not gonna save you!" He raised his sidearm again, ready to fire another shot, his fury blinding him to the danger.

Leon's mind raced. This guy's insane! He quickly glanced at Raziel, seeing the strain in her eyes. She can't keep this up forever. They had to do something—fast.

Raziel, her exhaustion showing, glanced at Leon, her voice low and frustrated. "I... I didn't mean to do that." Her flames wavered, flickering in and out of control. "I don't even know how long I can hold this."

Leon stepped forward, putting himself between her and the boss again. "You don't have to. We need to get out of here before this idiot gets us both killed." His voice was urgent, but there was a sliver of confidence in his tone, trying to reassure her.

The co-boss, still observing from a distance, raised a hand to the injured boss. "Wait," he said, his voice calm but authoritative. "We need to think this through."

The injured boss whirled around, eyes blazing with anger. "What? You saw what she did! She's a freak! She's dangerous!"

The co-boss's gaze shifted from Raziel to Leon, his expression unreadable. "Exactly. And that's why we shouldn't rush this. There's something else going on here." His eyes flickered with curiosity, clearly trying to piece together what Raziel was and how she had deflected the bullet.

Leon, sensing an opportunity, raised his hands slightly, trying to defuse the situation. "Look, we don't want any more trouble. You've seen what she can do. You really want to push this?"

The co-boss stared at him for a moment, calculating. His eyes then moved to Raziel, who was still struggling to keep her flames under control. "She's not just some normal splicer, is she?"

Leon didn't answer, his eyes narrowing as he kept his focus on the injured boss, who looked ready to pull the trigger again despite the co-boss's warning.

"You better listen to your friend there," Leon muttered, trying to keep his tone calm but firm. "Because if you keep pushing her... you might not like what happens next."

The injured boss growled, his grip tightening on the gun. "I don't care! She's a liability, and liabilities need to be dealt with!"

The co-boss's eyes flashed with frustration. "You're letting your anger get the best of you. We need to—"

But before he could finish, the injured boss fired another shot, this time aimed at Leon.

Raziel's flames flared up without warning, surrounding him in a dark, fiery bubble that instantly deflected the bullet. The heat surged, sending a wave of oppressive energy through the room. Leon stumbled back from the shockwave, cursing under his breath as the temperature spiked.

"Damn it!" Leon shouted, shielding his face from the flames. "Raziel! You need to pull it together before we both get roasted!"

But Raziel didn't respond. Her flames flickered chaotically around her, and Leon could see the tension in her face—she was losing control again. Her body trembled, and the dark fire kept surging higher, lashing out dangerously close to him.

Leon gritted his teeth, trying to think of how to break through to her without touching her. "Raziel, listen to me!" he yelled, stepping closer but keeping a safe distance. "You're gonna burn this place to the ground if you don't stop!"

Raziel's eyes darted toward him, but they were unfocused, clouded with fear and anger. The flames surrounding her only intensified, scorching the air with their sulfuric heat. She was clearly out of it—her instincts flaring as her powers spiraled out of control. Leon knew this wasn't just about the scavengers anymore. She was fighting something internal, something he couldn't see.

Leon sighed, his patience wearing thin. "Look, I get it. You're pissed, scared—whatever. But right now, you're making things worse!" His voice took on a sharper edge, knowing he had to cut through the chaos in her head. "You think this is helping? You think throwing a temper tantrum with fire is gonna fix anything?"

Raziel shot him a wild, furious look. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" Her voice was shaky, her words sharp, but Leon could tell there was fear beneath the anger.

Leon raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Yeah, clearly I'm clueless. But here's a newsflash: you're burning everything around you, including me, so how about we stop pretending you've got this under control?"

Raziel's flames flickered erratically again, and her glare deepened. "I didn't ask for your help, scavenger!" She spat the word like it was something filthy, her body trembling as she tried to rein in her powers.

"Yeah, well, you're getting it anyway," Leon shot back, deadpan. He could feel the flames starting to die down just a little as her attention shifted more to him. "You wanna toast me along with these guys, fine, but I thought we had a deal—you don't burn the guy trying to keep you alive."

Raziel's flames wavered again, the heat pulsing less intensely now. She blinked, clearly struggling with her emotions, and her body sagged just a bit as exhaustion started to creep in. "I... I don't know how to stop it."

"Not exactly inspiring confidence there," Leon muttered, taking another cautious step forward. "But I'm betting you've done worse and survived it, right? So pull it together and—"

"Stop yelling at me!" Raziel snapped, her flames flaring again for a moment before flickering weakly. She let out a shaky breath, her body trembling as the fire around her began to subside. "I didn't ask to be dragged into your mess!"

Leon scoffed. "My mess? You're the one making things explode!"

Raziel's eyes blazed for a second, but the flames around her were already starting to die down. She was exhausted, struggling to keep her power in check, and now, with Leon's constant pestering, she was coming back to herself—frustrated and irritated.

"Fine!" she finally spat, her voice hoarse. "But if I burn you alive, it's your own damn fault for getting in the way!" Her flames sputtered out as she crossed her arms, glaring at him.

Leon smirked, clearly unfazed by her attitude. "Well, look at that. I'm not on fire. Seems like you're not completely hopeless after all."

Raziel rolled her eyes, though she was clearly still shaken. "Whatever," she muttered. "What do we do now, genius?"

Before Leon could answer, they heard footsteps. The co-boss and the injured boss were regrouping, clearly still ready to fight despite the chaos.

Leon glanced at them, then back at Raziel. "We need to get out of here, preferably without you torching the place again. Think you can manage that?"

The injured boss, still furious, raised his gun again. "Don't listen to him! She's a freak—take her down!"

Before he could fire, the co-boss stepped in, grabbing the gun from the injured boss's hand with a sharp twist. "Enough!" he growled. The injured boss struggled, but the co-boss had had enough of his recklessness. With a swift, decisive motion, the co-boss knocked the injured boss out cold, sending him crumpling to the ground. "You're going to get us all killed."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "About time someone took care of him."

Raziel glanced back, watching the scene with mild interest. "Is it always like this with you scavengers? Just knocking each other out for fun?"

Leon smirked. "Only when someone's being an idiot." He then gestured for Raziel to move forward. "We've gotta go, now, before anyone else decides to get trigger-happy."

Raziel huffed, following him reluctantly. "You're really bossy, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, you're really good at almost getting us killed," Leon shot back, keeping his tone light despite the tension in the air. He glanced around cautiously, making sure the scavengers were too distracted by their unconscious boss to follow them immediately.

Raziel grumbled under her breath, her flames still barely flickering around her body, though they were no longer a threat. "I had it under control."

"Sure you did," Leon replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just like how you totally weren't about to roast me alive back there."

"I wouldn't have roasted you." Raziel rolled her eyes, then quickly added, "Well, not completely."

Leon sighed, muttering to himself. "Not exactly reassuring." As they moved further toward the exit, he noticed the way Raziel kept a slight distance from him, her movements wary. He remembered the way she'd lashed out earlier, her flames surging when he tried to grab her.

He frowned, deciding to keep his distance for now, careful not to trigger her again. "Look, I'm not gonna touch you, okay? I get it."

Raziel shot him a quick glance, her eyes narrowing. "Good. Don't."

"Wasn't planning on it," Leon replied, a bit of his usual sarcasm returning. "But I'll take that as progress—you didn't explode this time."

Raziel scoffed, clearly irritated. "You're annoying, you know that?"

Leon grinned, though he kept his pace quick as they neared what seemed like an exit. "Yeah, you've mentioned that."

They made their way through the debris-strewn path, the sound of the scavengers arguing fading into the background. For a moment, Leon felt a sense of relief, but it didn't last. His sharp instincts were still on high alert—there could be more traps, or worse, more scavengers waiting outside.

"Okay," Leon muttered, scanning the area as they walked. "We've gotta get out of here fast. If they regroup and come after us, we're in trouble."

Raziel nodded, though she looked visibly drained. Her flames had finally died down completely, and Leon could see her mechanical parts peeking through her charred skin. She winced with every step, but she wasn't complaining—just stubbornly pushing forward.

Leon's eyes flickered over to her again, noticing the exposed mechanical framework beneath her burned flesh. "You holding up?" he asked, his tone more careful now.

Raziel shot him a glare. "I'm fine."

"You sure about that?" Leon raised an eyebrow. "Because, I dunno, you look like you're falling apart—literally."

Raziel's lips tightened into a scowl. "I said I'm fine. Don't make a big deal out of it."

Leon let out a sigh, knowing better than to push the issue. "Fine, but you've gotta pace yourself. If you collapse, I'm not gonna be able to carry you out of here."

"I don't need you to carry me," Raziel snapped, though her voice wavered slightly.

Leon smirked, muttering, "Good, because that's not happening." He kept his distance but still kept a close eye on her, ready to intervene if she actually started to fall apart—just not physically, knowing how badly that would go over. He could tell she was exhausted, but she was way too stubborn to admit it, let alone accept any real help.

The path out of Ein Soldat wasn't far now, and the fading sounds of the scavengers behind them meant they were in the clear, at least for the moment. Still, Leon's nerves remained on edge—he knew better than to let his guard down completely, especially with someone like Raziel at his side.

As they walked in silence for a while, the tension between them eased slightly, but the banter never truly stopped.

"So," Leon said after a beat, his voice more relaxed now, "you always explode like that, or was today special?"

Raziel glared at him. "I don't explode."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure looked like you did back there."

Raziel huffed, her exhaustion making her less sharp with her retort. "Whatever. You're annoying."

Leon chuckled. "Yeah, you've said that a few times. Doesn't change the fact that I'm right."