peter skipped around, lost within the music of his walkman. you stared in disgust, wondering if all thieves were like him.

of course not, you shook your head to rid you of your thinking. there have been multiple times of your work, with way better foes. but that's beside the point...

you weren't proud of your work, you would admit, but it did keep a roof over your head and some food in your stomach.

quick and easy. take out the guy, grab the orb and get out of here.

while the man started to turn on his heel to whatever song he was listening to, you grabbed a nearby discarded branch that was rotting on the damp ground.

you gripped it tightly with both hands, raising it like a bat to swing when he turned your way.

he stopped mid-dance before shimming away. your arms dropped, feeling as if he didn't sense you at all. with a frown, you tried again. keeping your footing as light as you could manage, you carefully approached the man with your new weapon.

when you finally swung at him, he bent down by his waist. the branch waved over his back and you nearly stumbled from the weight of the wood.

biting your lip to restrict a squeal of surprise, you backed away to gauge his movements.

picking up a rat-like creature, the man held it up to his face. he used it as a makeshift microphone. ❝come and get your love!❞

you flinched away from him again, having an urge to drop the slab of wood you held to cover your ears.

god, he's awful!

a new wave of determination fell upon you and you crept away to a new hiding place that was bound to be in his path. squatting behind a slab of rock, you peered over to watch him again. he did a few more dance moves, tossed the creature away and clapped his hands.

the man started to near you, finally, and you smirked to yourself. bouncing on your heels, you waited for his approach. you heard the slick sliding of mud before he suddenly glided up beside you.

using your strong legs, you leaped up while simultaneously swinging upwards with full force.

an unnatural thump echoed around you and you watched his head bob to the side. his body followed next, slumping at your feet.

letting out a breath, you threw the branch to the side and bent down to check his pulse. he's still alive.

clicking your tongue, you dug through the pockets of his large coat...only to find anything but an orb.

❝what?❞ you muttered to yourself with a frown, patting down him once more. nothing. ❝shit...❞

you cursed openly to yourself, now feeling guilty for knocking out a random man for nothing. you stood once more, glancing around at the empty area before back down at the man.

giving his side a few light taps with the tip of your boot, you let out a long sigh. ❝well, now what?❞