:So we meet again: {Kire}

I would find her, I would put a stop to her, I would be able to heal my broken pride and humanity if I caught her and brought her to justice. The trouble is, despite all of my skill I felt a shred of doubt, that trickle of fear that permiated all my senses and left me wondering if I would be able to do it. No other person made me feel that way, I couldn't even really call her a person though, she was like an animal, tearing at me with animal instincts and ferocity. I touched the mask on my face again at the memory, the memory of her tearing away at my humanity, my flesh being torn away, the blood flowing freely from the wound. Not even my hatred was enough to burn away the fear that I was feeling, the icy cold clutches of fear that clawed at my heart and mind.

My steps were slow and deliberate, hoping to draw her out, give her a false sense of security. A hunter laying his trap, that's what I was doing now, but even the best plans are flawed. I failed to take into account that while she was indeed like some feral animal she was still human, all the intellect and cunning of a human being packed into a ferocious body, with claws and teeth of an animal. My heart thudded in my chest letting out a warning beat, the drums of some tribal people warning me of the dangers that lurked in these woods. It wasn't enough to scare me away though, it wasn't warning enough...either that or I was too foolish to allow my instincts to take over...to let this go. She was considered my greatest failure though, how could I let her continue to mar my perfect record of arrests and detains, she had to be taken in and I would be the one to do it.

I slowly turned around, taking in the details of the woods around me, searching for anything that would alert me to her presence. Everything seemed as calm and natural as it did before, nothing was out of place, one would almost believe I was paranoid to think she was somewhere around here. I knew better then to believe that though, it was the calm before the storm, that little monster was out there somewhere waiting for me to make a mistake. I was smarter than that though, I wouldn't let her get the jump on me. My fingers ran over the worn, smooth leather of the holster on my thigh, last time I had failed to use my weapon to its potential...not this time though...this time she would be mine, the barrel of my pistol held to her forehead, forcing her into submission. Animals feared what they could not fight, and human instinct was to fear a force that was more powerful than them...she was both...and she would fall.

I turned again, beginning my walk to the other side of the clearing, and that was my first mistake. I heard a sound from behind me and spun around too slow to defend myself. I felt the teeth of my attacker sink into the soft flesh of my shoulder, and I let out a roar of pain as the vice like jaws clamped down harder on me. The metalic smell of blood reached my nose, and I felt the thick, warm liquid sliding down my back and arm. The hands and feet of my attacker scrambled to reach every bit of my exposed skin, and for a moment I was overwhelmed with a feeling of defeat and dread. Their fingers raked over my mask and I let out a growl that probably resembled an animals, my own senses taking over as my large hands reached around and grabbed my attacker. My fingers closed around the person, and ignoring the pain of their jaws on my shoulder pulled them off and threw them away from me.

I glanced at the teeth marks left on my shoulder, and the chunk of skin that had left when her jaws did. Blood poured from the wound and I let out a yell of pain and rage as I looked at it...another failure...another scar left behind by this animal...this abomination. I looked at their form on the ground some feet away from me, recovering from my own attack. "Once more I find that you have stripped me of more than just my pride beast...you have this ability to never leave me without a scar...a permanent reminder of your hideous face. The first time it was my face, torn away from my skull, left with a broken jaw and a nose that no longer worked properly. Is it not enough that you've taken that from me...taken my humanity? Now you tear at my shoulder, your teeth biting into me and cutting my nerves...when will you learn though...this isn't a game...this isn't a hunt you can win...I'm the master here."

I glanced back at my shoulder and moved it slightly, getting an assesment of the damage that she had caused. Judging by the shooting pain and blood flowing freely from it she had hit something important, and if I didn't get some care to it soon I would probably lose enough blood to make me lose conciousness. I clamped my hand over the wound to try and stop the blood from pumping out, and glared at the girl that was my sworn enemy, the most hated creature in existence. "Come at me then bitch, come show me what you've learned while we were apart, show me that you're worthy of my hatred."