Not an Easy Victim

She made her way along the street. It was calm, for the moment, and most people had gone indoors as the day began to dwindle. Dusk had only just started to take a foothold.

It was then that a distinct pop rent the air. A wizard, intent on finding sport amongst the muggles he despised, they which he felt far beneath him, had apparated onto the street. Spotting the young woman - girl, really - he grabbed her. She struggled. The man was bigger than her, stronger. He underestimated her.

Grinding a heel into his foot, she yanked an arm free, twisting to smack him across the face. He shoved her and she fell to the ground. Then, she began to laugh.

"Now, now," growled the wizard, annoyed by the small pain she had caused. He brought his wand to bear, knowing it was only a matter of time before more of her kind appeared. "Only one of us will be having fun. Crucio!"

Nothing happened. He stared at his wand in confusion.

A grin spread across the girl's face. "Misplace something, wizard?" she asked sweetly. She raised one hand to her face, as though she had picked something up off the ground. "Oh. Found it." Flinging her palm towards him, she sent him slamming into the brick side of a building.

Rising to her feet, she walked over to where he lay sprawled, dazed and gasping from the pain of several cracked ribs.

"I'm not such an easy victim," she said lightly. "We are not your playthings, Wizard. You will not be winning this war. God is on our side, and good will out. I've been given a gift, I can take your magic and use it against you. Be it a blessing of God or a curse of the devil, I will use it for the Lord's glory alone.

"I'd tell you to take warning, but you'll be warning no one," she told him. "Good bye, wizard." Stretching her hand towards him, a burst of green light shot from her palm.

"May the Lord have mercy upon your soul, that you may be saved from eternal damnation."

Then, she sank to the ground, suddenly weak.

Gene heard a commotion beside her and he drew out both pistol and wand, and side-stepped into the alley.

"Now, hands in the air. Where I can see them." He said, like a good ole muggle cop would on TV, and his gun held steadily, he edged closer to the girl but keeping a safe distance away.

He bent down to check the man's pulse. There was none. Another case of wizard attacking muggles...

"Alright. I think you got attacked? But you killed him. But he would have killed you. So au revoir." He said, and kept his wand and gun as he made to turn around.

Lainey had stiffened at the newcomer's approach. Stubbornly, she forced herself unsteadily to her feet. Another one! She gritted her teeth, ready to fight back, if necessary.

She was utterly baffled when he actually turned his back on her.

Keeping a wary eye on the man, she moved slowly backwards in the opposite direction, swaying slightly. There was a doorway not too far away. If she could reach it...

The heel of her shoe caught in a crack in the sidewalk and still too weary to catch herself, she fell, landing on her wrist, which gave a painful pop. Lainey bit back a cry, sending a loathing glare at the wizard lest he draw near or turn his weapons on her again.

Not that she had any way of defending herself.

Gene heard someone fall and he turned around, and bent down to help her up.

"Be more careful, dear lady." He smiled, and was baffled when she refused his help.

"Alright alright, wizard hater. I was raised the muggle way, so relax okay?" He shot her a look and waving his wand, mended her broken arm and forced her to sit down at a bench nearby and sat at the bench opposite of her.

"You should be more careful." He said simply.

Lainey eyed the man with deep suspicion. Why had he helped her? Unless, he hadn't seen what, exactly, she had done? That would be rather fortuitous. Only her captors had learned of her talent. She was not keen on anyone else knowing about it.

She gaped at him incredulously as he used his witchery to set her on a bench before sitting across from her. The girl rolled her wrist experimentally. Good as new.

"So should you," she snarled back when he told her she should be more careful. Lainey knew better than to trust his show of concern and caring. Her captors had done the same. She wouldn't buy it. Magicals could break bones just as easily as they could mend them.

"Yes, so should I." He laughed, and clapped his hands.

"So, tell me, young lady. That person you killed at the alley, I care not, really. But seriously, I myself am a wizard. Logical question to you, why did I not invest time in killing you? Simple. I was raised the muggle way, and to me, there is no war. But a peace that must follow between the two." He nodded, and took out his gun and wand as if to show her the balance he managed all the time.

"You can't kill a wizard with your bare hands. I used to work at the Ministry. It was the killing curse. And you have no wand. Pray. Tell me what happened? I won't tell a soul."

Lainey furrowed her brow as the man began speaking again. He was, quite possibly, mad. Perhaps his witchery had rotted his brain?

"I assumed that you merely determined I was not worthy of your time," she responded coolly.

A smirk twisted her lips. "I am not a witch," she spat the word, "why would I have a wand? And how should I know anything about your devilry? Perhaps, I have been blessed with a resistance to the evils of your kind and the curse rebounded upon him?"

He tilted his head to the side watching the scene in front of him play out. He growled as he spotted the wizard appear. He pulled out two glocks and slowly stalked forwards, his guns pointed at the back of the wizard.

"Hold your tongue. We don't need you spreading your filth on our lands. You are not welcome here magical now leave before i put a bullet in your head." He spat his eyes never leaving the man. "Are you okay?" He asked Lainey.

A trace of smugness flashed through Lainey's green eyes as another man arrived. The girl adopted a shaken appearance, nodding a bit jerkily and hugging her arms about herself as though for comfort. She looked suitably frightened by the wizard. One who hadn't seen her before her rescuer arrived, would have been hard-pressed to tell that it was an act.

Though, not entirely. She'd have been an idiot to not be at least a little afraid of a man so well-armed against her. Mostly, however, she just didn't want the magical getting any closer to learning the truth about her talent.

Gene froze a little when he realized he was in peril. But if he can't take on two people, it would be a wasted period as a teacher.

Gene flicked his wand and apparated behind the man, and waving his wand, he disarmed the man's weapons and summoned them to him, and kicked them aside.

"What'd with the hostility. I did nothing." He frowned, his wand ready to deflect or curse anyone who madethe next move.

Lainey did not move except to lower her head.

"You claim you want peace," she said very quietly. "Wouldn't that best be accomplished by avoiding this confrontation? You have proven you can simply leave, wizard. I do not understand your interest in a simple woman like myself. Unless you lied, and you care about the man dead, but as you say, he attacked me. I only survived," she lifted her gaze to the wizard's face, but avoided his eyes. "I do not know how."

The girl was feeling like herself again. That much was good, but wouldn't searve her well against a wizard standing so far apart from her. She could only hope that his claim of some sort of morals was not a lie; she did not wish the man who had come to her aid to be harmed. She also did not wish to use her ungodly talent again so soon unless absolutely necessary - even if she could figure out a way to touch the magical.

"Kind sir," Lainey shifted her gaze to her would-be rescuer. His eyes she did meet. "If you would make a show of nonaggression to this wizard gentleman. It would seem he is merely curious." The operative would was 'show', of course; even she remained as on-guard as possible. She assumed the man had other weapons, as well, should the wizard prove himself to be like every other she had encountered.

A twinge of despair made itself known at the very back of her mind. Ten minutes. More than enough time to remove herself - and the other man - from the magical's presence. All it would take is a simple touch of skin against skin. So easy. So impossible.

Gene nodded, and picking up the glocks, he checked the ammunition and raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, next time, pull the top first so that the chamber is filled." He commented and placed it in front of him, and looked at the muggle lady.

"I mean no harm." He kept his wand and his own Colt 1911 handgun, and raised his arm. He just got reunited with his wife and is he going to die here? Heck no. But he was the leader of an order to protect the muggles. How can he allow muggle aggression on his own kind? How can he keep peace like this?

"Why?" He asked the lady simply, moving to stand directly in front of her.

He growled and brought his wrist up to his mouth. "Anti- apparation wards around sector 13 over." He ordered before pulling out a hand grenade out of his pocket and pulling out the ring. "One more sign of magic from anyone and my hand will accidently slip off the trigger. Capish?" He said looking down at his guns.

"I've had years of experience in wars and battles i don't need advice from a magical." He laughed turning to look at the muggle woman. "He has shown magic on our land, i gave him the chance to leave but instead he took away my weapons. He's had his chance." He said pulling out another gun from the inside of his suit jacket.

"You have 10 seconds to leave before i decide whether i want to see your head caved in by a bullet or your body blown into a million pieces. 10... 9..." He said pulling the safety off his gun.

"Whooooa...." He said, and he still pulled out his wand, and with a wave, glued his hand to the hand grenades so that he can't do anything or use that watch of his to talk to anyone.

"What our land. This is Britian! We're British! Why do you all take magic and non-magic things so harshly when we are all human beings? Have you any idea how much my people, not magical, but I am referring to my base of people, who are protecting that innocent lady from getting mobbed by other weird wizards? Don't judge all of us like scum. And I myself command the Siberian division of Peacekeeping in the muggle world. I was so bloody surprised that you didn't recognise me." He shook his head, and holding up his wand, he muttered incantations so that they could hold the conversations together without being interrupted in anyway possible.

Conjuring up a chair for each of them, he sat down on his, and holding his wand, he sighed.

"Why do you hate us all so much? I, myself did nothing. You all must have at least heard of my accomplishments in maintaining Siberia from slipping into muggle insurgencies. Yes, a muggle army. Not wizarding. IF I didn't even take out my wand, would you two have known I was a wizard? No! So why the hostility?"

He frowned. "You know what lets just make it the full lot shall we? Over." He ordered down his watch. Now waiting for the anti- apparation and anti- portkey wards to work. "Release me this once you filthy magical." He said spitting down at Gene's feet.

"Pfft please. You have your land soo we have ours. I won't stop you walking our land, but you dare use magic here and it will be your fault if we end up putting a bullet in your head." He said making sure the gun stuck to his hand so no matter what magic the wizard used it wouldn't budge. Your people? You make me sick! You aren't above us you know? We don't belong to you no matter what power you have." He growled. "You just proved yourself not to be worthy. If you meant no harm why take away the one weapon i had?" He said then laughed. "Wars mean nothing to me. I've been a part of many of them from all over the world. Why would i recognise you? I remember only people of real importance you are no better than a spect on the bottom of my shoe." He smirked.

He kicked his chair away and turned back to the wizard shooting a bullet at the mans feet. "Use magic here again if you dare. I won't hesitate to put a bullet through that thick skull of yours." He said pointing his gun at the mans head, aiming it right between his eyes.

"You used magic. I know nothing about you and i honestly couldn't care less about how you are or what you've done. None of it makes any difference to me. I don't mind wizards but use magic against me or one of my people and we have a problem."

When he fired the gun, he knew that he must act.

"Fine." He waved his wand and unglued him, and he stood up.

"I didn't touch the lady there. I did not use magic at all. I only used magic when you pointed your gun at me. I think, if you were me, you'll try to protect yourself as well? And we're not above anyone. We're all human." He flinged the Glock back to him, and sat back in his couch.

He took out a bottle, and pulled out the memory in which he first met the lady, and placed it inside.

"This is what I saw and did with the lady. Wait, I did use magic. She broke her wrist, so I mended it. You look like you've hunted us long enough. I'm sure you know what a pensieve is." He said, and handed it over to him.

"Actually, I took away your weapon primarily because you wanted to put a bullet in me. It's natural even for you, I believe."

"You used magic that is why i am here. With god as my witness i gave you a fair chance but you used magic so i stepped in." He said feeling the crucifix warm up on his chest. "You know nothing about me so how can you possibly know what i would do? We are nothing a like alright?"

He shook his head. "I'm not interested in your memories. I'm here under the gods will to protect my brothers and sisters from people like you. You're right about that which means i trust none of you. Who knows that the second i enter that pensive that you're not going to jump me? We're smarter than that now." He said tapping the side of his head with his gun.

"Well you believe wrong, nothing is natural to me. I gave you the chance to leave peacefully instead you used magic to disarm me. That is your fault now leave before i chance my mind and kill you."

Gene sighed and shook his head, and got up from his chair.

He then pointed to the girl-

"She killed a wizard just now. In the alley there. Traces of the killing curse but she has no wand. The bottle of memories, I leave it here. I respect attitude. So... Goodbye." Gene nodded, and walked out of the anti-apparation ward, wondering whether the world will ever come to peace at an end.

He shrugged. "The wizard was attacking muggles including herself she had every right to take him down." He said looking at the dead guy with his eyes narrowed that was true, how had she killed him.

"Goodbye wizard." He said aiming his gun at the vial of memories and shot at it smashing the glass into a million tiny pieces. "I told you i do not care about your memories." He said before turning to the girl left behind.

"Would you care to explain how the man died?"

Lainey listened quietly to the exchange between the two men, certain at several points throughout that one or both - possible all three - of them were going to injured or killed. Finally, the wizard left, leaving part of the young woman's mind in turmoil. He had used magic, but only in to defend himself, and only to disarm. What had he been playing at?

Lainey stood slowly as the other man turned his attention to her. She bit her lip, gaze directed somewhere around his ankles. "His devilry was turned against him," she answered vaguely, shrugging one shoulder.

"His devilry was turned against him?" He asked turning his head to the side slightly. "What does that even mean?" He asked his guns still held ready in his hands.

"One second." He said throwing the grenade in his hand as far as he could away from them. "You might wanna get down!" He cried getting to the floor and seconds later the ground a head of them blow up.

"That was awesome." He laughed celebrating when a sound to his right brought him back to the world. "Oh! Explain yourself because from where i stood it looked to me like you used magic." He said pointing between them with the gun in his hand.

Lainey ducked beneath the bench at his directive, covering her ears with her hands. She rose back up again after the explosion, giving a soft laugh... and bringing the man's attention back to herself.

The girl raised her hands into the air. Even though his gun was actually pointed at her, it wouldn't take very long for that to change. "I'm not a witch!" she exclaimed. She looked at him for a moment, cursing the bloody wizard for opening his mouth. Then, she sighed in defeat.

"I don't have magic," Lainey reiterated, then continued reluctantly, "but... i-if I touch them, on the skin, I can take their magic. And then, I can use. I've never been taught and I've never tried to taint myself. I just... can. I don't know why."

He scratched his head with his gun and thought. "I know you're not a witch, i can tell that much. I have a sixth sense if you like when it comes to picking them out." He frowned she puzzled him and he didn't like thinking at the best of time.

"I've never heard anything like you. How did you find out about this 'power' of yours?" He asked wondering whether it was a gift from god to help them or a gift from satan to hinder them.

Lainey brought her hands down when it seemed apparent that he wasn't planning on shooting her, just yet. Her green eyes hardened at his question.

"When the wizards took me and brother," she answered, bitterness in her tone. "I was nine. One of them grabbed me and it startled me, so I blew him through a wall. They'd never heard of anything like me, either. Two years later, they still couldn't figure me out. They called me a leach. I called them bloody bastards. One of them finally grew careless and allowed me to touch him. That's when I escaped."

He smirked one side of his mouth pulling up. "Ar what the hell, i've just witnessed you kill one of them what more proof do i need." He said spinning his guns so they pointed down so that he could pocket one. The other he always kept out just in case.

"Tell me, are you a woman of God?" He asked.