Excerpt: A Storm at Midnight

As the last of the heavily armed gang members crumpled to the ground, the slender figure clad tightly in blue and white rose back to her feet, the shimmering wall of energy around her flickering and fading. Brushing long, blonde hair from her eyes with one gloved hand, she turned to her companion, a young man dressed in lurid red and orange, his black hair cropped tight to his skull. The woman broke the silence.

"Not bad, kid. You're not obviously bleeding, at least, which is always a start."
"Your faith in me is inspiring as ever, Phoenix. I don't know how I'd carry on without your constant encouragement." he retorted, but without real malice.
Phoenix shook her head and chuckled quietly. "My name is Jane, Star. It's not a secret, not any more, and I've told you to use it."
"What if they come and find you at home?"

Phoenix shrugged expansively. "What if they do? I can beat them on their home turf, I can beat them anywhere. Most of the smarter criminals in this city have learned that I'm not worth the trouble of messing with."

"Speaking of trouble..."

The young man now identified as Star gestured with his head towards the upper walkway overlooking the vast warehouse they stood in, and the return of the blanketing silence allowed them to hear the approaching footsteps, and the rising drone of a very particular weapon.

Acting swiftly, Jane grabbed him and dragged him into a deep shadow as the footsteps drew to a halt above them. The figure that peered down from it was... apparently human, or at least the right sort of shape, but they both knew exactly what it was. Wrapped in tight, purple and black leather, its face masked behind a large black scarf, it bore the comet symbol of the Council of Nictus on its chest and carried a glowing energy rifle, purple flares coruscating around the anodised metal of the barrel.

As the booted feet clanked down the stairs towards them, Jane raised a finger silently to her lips, her body fading into a cloud of brilliant energy and then vanishing from view altogether. The Void Slayer paused as it reached the base of the staircase, its head turning left and right as it scanned the space, eyes invisible behind smoked glass goggles. With a sound slightly resembling a laugh, it rounded the crate Star was lurking behind and spoke, a deep, guttural growl.

"Get out here, Peacebringer, and I promise your death will be quick. If not painless. I know you're here, there is no escape from the Hunt."

Star pulled in a deep breath and did as instructed, hands raised above his head, as the Slayer lead him into the centre of the room, Quantum rifle raised and armed.
"Any last words, Kheldian?" it queried.

Star grinned. "Yeah. Never assume you see everything that's really there. And ALWAYS look behind you."

The Slayer turned its head on instinct, only managing enough of a rotation that its face was met flush by a glowing fist travelling at supersonic speed. Its flight across the room was arrested only by a pile of empty cardboard boxes as Star ducked out of its path. Behind the spot on which it had been standing, Jane grimaced and shook her hand vigourously, wincing.

"Lesson to learn, Star. No matter how hard you can hit, skulls are always harder than you think they are."

Star smirked as he wandered over to the fallen Slayer and unleashed a bolt of gleaming energy into the already bent rifle, which exploded violently, scattering sparking components every which way.

"Duly noted, Jane. We done here?"