Bleeding out

Officer Clarke's flaming fist went thrusting toward Jin's head.

Jin accepted his fatality in that he could not move to in turn evade the forthcoming attack. Hopelessness. Weakness. He hated these things.

The fist came launching toward him—

When suddenly; before he could receive the finishing blow from the cop, he found himself in a different location; peering up at a ceiling.

He was laying on a carpet, and his eyes were directed at a ceiling. He knew exactly what carpet he was laying on. And he knew exactly what ceiling he was staring at.

Home.

He was home…

He, flat on his back, looked forward a little only to see Baron over him and on his knees.

'Baron must've … teleported us out of there…'

Then he heard, "Ability Runners are usually—" a pause.

That voice. It was definitely Dobby's.

Dobby pounced up from the chair.

"BARON??! JIN??!"

He lunged toward the two; and swirled on his feet as he sent a kick into Baron's face.

Baron was knocked back from the incursion. He laid flat on his back just like Jin had been doing.

Unbeknown to him, Dobby was not yet finished.

Dobby stood in front of him as he laid there, bent over, and clasped his hands to the shirt underneath his black jacket.

He raised him up from the floor a bit; and sent a fist into his face.

Baron's head jolted back from the punch, and he was knocked back down to the floor again.

Dobby still wasn't finished. No, he wasn't satisfied. These Ability Runners were messing with the wrong people at the wrong time.

"You fucking, bastard! You hurt Jin, didn't you!!?" his voice trailed off as he grabbed Baron's shirt again.

He sent a self-damaging jab into the black haired Elf's face.

As Baron's body collides with the floor again; Dobby shakes off the pain from his hand. A searing pain. His bones cracked. Even if it was broken—he didn't care.

"I told you I weren't gonna fucking spare your ass just because you're an elf like me!" he hissed; grabbing Baron's shirt again.

Suddenly, Ashton stood next to Dobby. His facial expression indecipherable. "Dobby! Stop!" he yelled.

Dobby's fist came to a halt midway through his attack. His fist—lingering before Baron's swollen face. He turned his head to face Ashton. "What Ashton—what!?"

"I said stop…" Ashton bent over and clasped a hand to Baron's shirt.

Dobby let go of him. "What the fuck, man!?"

When suddenly, Ashton shot a jarring fist into Baron's face.

Baron's head collided with the floor. He tumbled again. It was the hardest hit he's received yet. As weak as he was from the cop's barrage of attacks, he couldn't defend himself.

As agony began to take its course, Ashton quickly held his hand and started to wail in pain. "Ouchhh! It hurts!"

"What a blow, Ash!" Dobby pushed a sleeve higher up his arm, "Let's finish this mother fucker … for Jin!"

Ashton nodded his head, "Right!"

They both looked down at Baron.

They were about to attack again, when suddenly they heard a husky voice. "Ashton, Dobby! Guys! Stop!"

Slowly, they both turned around and looked down at Jin.

"Jin?" they both uttered in unison.

Jin winced as he tried moving. "Baron…saved … me." his tone … trembling.

The two quickly rushed over to him.

Moisture began to drench Ashton's eyes, "Jin," he frowned, "You're bleeding…"

Dobby, gritting his teeth, slapped Jin to his face, "You asshole! I told you not to consort with Ability Runners!" he clutched his hands to his neck.

Ashton pushed him. "Don't hit him, he's hurt." down his cheek, a tear trickled.

Baron stood up from the ground, and walked over to the others; his body doubled over while he held his abdomen.

Dobby glared at him. "What are you doing over here!? It's your fault," he sniffled, "You Ability Runners are no good!"

Jin held Dobby's hand, seizing the fullness of his attention.

"D-don't…" he uttered; hints of agony advertised itself on his face. He wanted say more but couldn't.

Ashton held Jin's other hand. "Dobby, Jin said that Baron saved him. You shouldn't hurt him anymore…"

Dobby looked back up at Baron who had been standing there, and asked, "That true? You saved Jin?"

He nodded his head.

"Explain," Dobby commanded, "Explain to us what happened…and we wanna hear…"

"All of it," Ashton finished.

Baron heaved. "Baron is sorry. Baron cannot speak as Baron's in pain and has trouble speaking with disorder. Will keep it…short."

"Well?" Dobby raised a brow.

"We were going to rob a wicked Drug lord. Jin and Sylvia were supposed to look out for us. While Baron, Krod, and Flint were an assault team. Assault team was supposed to attack Drug lord and steal money."

"While attacking Druglord, Baron heard Sylvia saying Jin was in trouble through coms. Only Baron acted. Baron teleported over to Jin, and helped him fight cop."

"Fight a cop!?" Ashton echoed.

Dobby glanced at him. "Let him finish." he focused on Baron again.

"Baron was taken down," Baron continued, "Cop attacked Jin. Cop…hurt Jin," he coughed, "Cop was about to kill Jin, when Baron teleported Jin away," he frowned.

Dobby heaved, as he peered down at Jin. He shook as head. "You're one huge asshole, Jin. What'd I tell you about those Ability Runners?"

Ashton's eyes suddenly widened. They widened when he landed them upon the blood beneath Jin's head.

The blood had been oozing out from the wound behind his head, and trickling onto the carpet he had been laying on.

"Look, he's bleeding a lot!" Ashton raised Jin's head.

Dobby helped him put Jin in a sitting position, and they both held his body up. Keeping his body in this position.

Behind Jin's head, Ashton searched for the source of the blood and he quickly stumbled across it.

It was evident on his part that Jin's head was burst.

"Dobby, his head; we need to stop the bleeding…"

Dobby had also found the injury on Jin's leg. "His leg has been burnt pretty badly. It looks swollen as well."

Ashton stood, "I'm gonna go get some ice packs from the fridge."

"Do that."

He hurried off.

Dobby gently slapped Jin to his cheek. "Hang in there, buddy. We're gonna fix you up. I don't know what hit you behind your head so bad. I'm pretty sure a hit like that would damage some part of your brain."

"When you survive this, Jin," he raised an index finger, "I'm gonna fuck you up!"

Dobby quickly took off his shirt, wrapped it up a bit, and placed it on the wound behind Jin's head. He continued to place pressure on it in light of slowing the bleeding.

A screen suddenly appeared before Jin's face.

[HP: 1]

"I'm…bleeding out…"

"I know, I know. But don't worry, okay? I'm here for you now. Me and Ashton. We're here. There's nothing to worry about anymore, you hear me, Jin? Don't worry," Dobby consoled him.

"Baron will go get a doctor." Suddenly Baron disappeared.

"How are you gonna do that?"

He then looked down at Jin again, "You should've listened to us … actually, there's no time to scold you now. There'll be plenty of time later."

Dobby furrowed his eyebrows, "And you better not die on us, you hear me?"

Ashton returned with the bag of ice and gave it to Dobby. "Here."

Dobby removed the cloth from Jin's head, and placed the ice pack instead. "What took you so long, Ashton? The fridge is right there in the kitchen … where'd you go for so long?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. Guilt tossed his head elsewhere.

"What about his leg?"

"Don't worry about that for now. The head's what we gotta worry about. We can always ice and elevate that later."

Panic-stricken, Ashton's heart throbbed as his breathing accentuated. "How's he losing so much blood!?"

"Please. Calm down, Ash," Dobby cried. "You have me out of character here!"

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Suddenly, Baron appeared with a person dressed in all white before him. It was a female doctor. She had her hair in a bun, and she possessed an aquiline nose, and tanned skin.

"W-what," her eyes swept the room, "What am I-I doing here?" she stuttered, mildly trembling.

Baron stood in front of her. "Heal Baron's friend—now!" he commanded; looking daggers at the bewildered woman.

She grimaced, "Who is Baron's friend? Who's Baron!?"

"Over here," called Dobby, grabbing her attention.

She looked down at Jin; and quickly deduced that he was on the verge of certain death.

She quickly rushed over to them, with a conspicuously nervous gait.

She went down to her knees, and placed a hand on his chest. A pulse. "He's still alive. But this is surely a lot of blood he's losing for a kid."

She looked at Ashton and Dobby, "You four are only kids. How did he manage to get hurt this badly?"

"No time to explain, woman! Heal him quickly!" Dobby hissed.

She quickly looked down at Jin. Her palms quickly began to luminously glow green as he placed them against his chest.

The others all watched with hope that she succeeded in healing him.

They watched as the wound on his left calf withered away. First the wound started to close; the flesh regenerating. Then, the swelling vanished from existence.

They were then looking at a leg that looked unharmed and perfectly normal.

[HP: 5/10]

"Okay, this is all I can do." the doctor winced as she edged her hands away from his body.

"Are you okay, Doc?" asked Ashton, adjusting his glasses. He only asked this question after having seen remarkable agony on her countenance.

"Healing a living being passes a fraction of its pain to the healer," she looked at Ashton, "But I'll be fine."

"Is his head healed?"

She peered at Dobby, shaking her head. "Not completely. I'm afraid this matter is more serious than I thought."

Dobby's eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

She slowly gazed down at Jin, who had been laying on his back. And on her face, a nuance conjured. "I'm afraid there is something more … something prevented me from healing him fully. A dark energy … that is covering his body with an anti-magic effect. His body—it won't take my healing."

Fear painted itself all over Ashton's face. "W-what…do you mean?" curiosity cocked his head.

"I'm saying that … your friend is bewitched." her eyes darken.

"I don't get it." Dobby grimaced.

Ashton raised a brow, "Are suggesting that Jin's under a spell?"

She did not respond.

"Answer the question, damnit!" snarled Dobby. She was a grown woman—but he didn't care.

"He's under three spells…" she blurted.

"THREE!?"

"Correct."

"We have no time for that now…"

Ashton tossed his head over at Baron. "Hey, Baron! What kind of Ability did the cop have?"

He folded his arm. "Baron thinks the cop had fire Ability."

"A fire Ability? I don't think a fire Ability could put one under a spell," Ashton put a hand on his chin, "Unless … "

"Unless what?" questioned Dobby.

"Unless he either has some other enhancement Ability that enhances a preexisting one like his fire for example. Or … he probably has another Ability or something. I don't know." he was about to say something else, but revoked.

"Oh! I think I got something. He could have—"

Suddenly, Tristan burst through the front door, and darted into the house, sliding on his feet. "I'm here, I'm here," he panted, "Where's Jin!?"