...killed the cat.

He was fucked. So totally fucked that the irony wasn’t even funny to him that he’d never been fucked. Oh god, this was it. He was going to die in a random back alley, alone, as a virgin, and at the hands of some random thug with bullshit lightning magic when all he had was a measly knife and an information skill.

…

Once again, John mentally facepalmed. How many times was he going to forget to use the really important new magical powers that could literally save his life? He did admit to himself that this was a very stressful situation, and gave himself a bit of leeway for forgetting this time. He cast an Observe at the evilly grinning thug, praying to whatever would listen to show him something he could exploit here to survive.

That… was not that helpful. What distance did his magic work at, how could John use it against him, what- another message flickered into view as he started his rant of complaints to the universe in general about this sudden left turn into hell that his life had taken..

I would advise you to keep your distance. His Natural Ability works really well through touch.

Huh. So…someone was actually listening to him? ‘That’s… actually kind of disturbing.’

Good thing he didn’t have long to think about it since Toby was stalking closer to him. He took a step back as Toby stepped forward, giving the man a dark shine in his eyes. John had a feeling that it was only the time constraint that Brick put on him that stopped the man from torturing him for the sheer enjoyment of the activity.

John was brainstorming what he could do to beat the thug - maybe throw water on him and redirect the electricity? - when the girl in the van gave out a muffled scream and wiggled, as Brick pulled her deeper into the van from a side door. John saw it, and suddenly burst into unplanned action. It was a terrible, thoughtless idea, but he simply couldn’t stand by and watch while this happened.

He leaped forward at Toby while shouting, “Get off her!” and slashing with the knife again. Unfortunately, this time Toby wasn’t caught unaware. He batted the knife away with one wrist, taking a measly hit.

2 Damage

A glancing blow at most, barely worse than the scratch of a cat or small dog. In the same motion, the man placed his open palm directly onto John’s head, applying his ability, even as his other hand moved into a gut punch that doubled John over and dealt some surprising damage.

-7 HP

That was really bad considering John had cut the criminal with an actual dagger and only dealt 6 damage. He instantly stopped all thoughts of numbers and tactics as Toby’s ability did its literal magic. There was a feeling of intense shock and pain, as if every nerve ending in his body had been shoved into a live plug socket. It locked up his muscles almost entirely in place and mostly paralysed him, with just enough time to make a strangled scream of intense pain before his throat seized up and it was all he could do to continue breathing.

Toby stood over where he lay, barely able to slowly blink through the shock. “Not so bold now, are you, sneaky little fucker? Give me that knife of yours, you won’t be needing it where you’re off to.”

That made its way through the pain-filled haze of John’s mind, and cleared it ever so slightly. The knife! It was still in his hand, and, if he understood his Gamer powers correctly just this one goddamn time…

To Toby’s perspective, he was reaching towards the dagger, and it suddenly disappeared from the kid’s hand. Nothing too surprising, it probably had a recall enchantment on it to some other place. Annoying, though, because he had wanted it as a trophy. To John, however, he basked in his enforced silence, motionlessly exulting while looking at the dagger within his inventory. It wasn’t much, but it might be helpful later, if he got the chance to escape.

What the Gamer hadn’t thought to consider, however, was what Toby would do if his prize disappeared. When it vanished, the wiry thug recoiled slightly, and then reared back and lightly kicked John’s kidney. John’s recently electrocuted and paralysed kidney.

-4 HP

One moment, he was glorying over his small victory, the next his mind was completely flooded, overloaded with the most intense pain he’d ever felt. It was as if those nerves that had been stuck in a plug socket were also now doused in napalm and set ablaze, and he still couldn’t move to react to the pain, only able to clench his teeth as a tear escaped his eye.

Toby saw it, and smiled, the toothy sadistic smile of a shark that had caught the scent of blood.

He slowly drew his own knife, an ugly and jagged affair, and knelt beside John, then began speaking again, “You know, this job can get pretty dull. Lots of risk, but the targets can so rarely fight back.” The blade gently pressed against John’s arm as he spoke. “So imagine my surprise when a lanky kid with almost no magical aura on him manages to give me this lovely mark.” He placed his wounded arm beside John’s matching arm. “Well, you know what would be really fun?” The man’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and that same sadistic smile was still plastered on his face. “It would be really fun if we were matching, don’t you think?”

With a steady hand, the knife’s jagged edge traced down the outside of his arm, following the same slash John had cut into Toby's arm. It was just about to cut into him, the cold metal pushed against the thin layer of his unbroken skin, when Brick called out “I told ya to stop playing with ‘im, Toby! So stop it!”

The scrawny kidnapper pulled the blade away from John’s arm and called over to his partner, “Oh hey, Bob!” John preferred the nickname for him. Bob reminded him of a friendly bald accountant, not the tower of muscle and flesh that lumbered around the corner of the van. Toby stood upright then spoke, “There you go. Happy? Pop the cuffs on him and toss him in the back. I’ll drive.” He left for the van, and John heard the door as he got into it.

‘Behemoth’ Bob stomped his way over to John and clicked a pair of metal bracelets onto his wrists. They seemed to be inscribed with some kind of symbols, but he couldn’t get a good look at them with his head only just beginning to manage minute movements now. The hulking thug grabbed John’s wrists and dragged him to the van, then heaved and threw him inside.

He landed with a bump that set John’s ears ringing, almost nose-to-nose with the very girl he’d tried to save, who… didn’t stare at him with fear-filled eyes, like he’d expected. Mainly because her eyes were entirely blank, a pure and snowy white covering her iris and pupil. It took him a moment to realise it, but this poor girl was blind, on top of the rest of this pile of crap situation.

Then both of their attentions were drawn to the slamming of the rear doors, blocking out most light in the back.

Then a lot of things happened very suddenly, and in very quick succession.

From their vantage point, in the back of a dimly lit **** van, lying on the rusty, cold metal, they couldn’t see anything, only hear what happened. Not that she could have seen anything regardless, when John thought about it. There was the stomping of Bob walking to the cab, then a female voice shouted, “HEY! STOP!” and the stomping suddenly sped up. The van then jostled on its suspension, assumedly as the big man threw himself into the passenger seat.

Bob’s muffled deep voice could be heard saying, “Gun it! It’s the Warden girl!” and John watched as the girl opposite him gasped quietly and perked up hopefully at hearing this. There was a clunk of the handbrake releasing, and then another shout from what must have been ‘the Warden girl’.

“FOR THE LADY!”

Immediately following the cry, every small crack and hole in the van’s steel frame suddenly shone with an illuminant golden glow from outside, as if a small sun had lit itself in the alleyway, and then there was a loud cracking noise from the direction of the voice.

The driver finally seemed to get himself together at that point, unfortunately, as the engine roared and the van started moving and picking up speed. There was a brief noise like glass shattering, and a message appeared in front of John, fully lit despite the darkness.

Barrier collapsed

The noises of traffic returned from the silence, the van slowed and began travelling at a reasonable pace, and all returned to the normal and expected version of reality.

Except for the two teens with magical handcuffs on, lying in the back of a rusty van after a magical ****. One blind and unable to guide herself, and the other paralysed and barely able to breathe.