𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞

Keira and Luke had battled numerous monsters, but encounters with mortal gunmen were rare for them.

The three men appeared to be around 30 years old. The bald Hawaiian guy seemed to be the leader, judging by his posture, but the other two were taller and had a more muscular physique. More intimidating than their physique were the firearms they brandished. The bald guy seemed unarmed, but the other two had guns aimed directly at them.

Advancing with weapons raised through the dimly lit dining area, the lack of light made it difficult for them to aim accurately. Seizing the opportunity, Keira forcefully pushed Luke through the door, jolting him out of his trance. Once he was outside, she quickly followed suit as the two friends of the Hawaiian guy opened fire.

Keira pressed the door shut behind her as she exited, positioning herself on the hinge side. Luke stood on the other side, both facing the desolate field. There was absolutely nowhere to run. There were no houses nearby, only open fields, and on the other side of the building was the road, which also didn't provide any hiding spots. Luke couldn't fathom how they could escape without being gunned down by the traffickers.

As Keira anticipated, one of the armed men tried to exit through the door. Upon opening it, Keira used all her strength to push it closed back again, throwing herself onto it. The man's face took a brutal hit from the door, and his nose quickly started bleeding. Clutching his face, he involuntarily dropped the gun while yelling and cursing in pain. Luke, with quick reflexes, grabbed the pistol and moved away from the door.

Keira passed in front of him, ordering, "Come on, we don't have much time," as she circled around the restaurant to return to the parking lot.

Luke shouted behind her as the other two uninjured men exited through the door, "There's no way out! We have to run and get to the car."

"No way, they'd catch us," Keira replied, slowing down once she reached the parking lot and waiting for the other two criminals to approach.

Indeed, escaping by car wasn't an option. They would have been pursued in the other vehicle, as the dealers probably had a GPS tracking both cars since they somehow had managed to find them. All that was left was to stand their ground and fight.

"Let's go, Dan!" a voice shouted, and the bald man emerged from the corner, his Hawaiian shirt disheveled from running.

Keira quickly drew a butcher knife — ordinary, no celestial bronze since it wouldn't work on mortals. Luke frowned, unaware she had it or seen it before, but he assumed Athena's children always had those special details, carrying all kinds of weapons with them in case they needed them.

She grabbed the bald man by the neck as he rushed past the corner, disoriented, and pressed the knife against his throat. The man struggled to escape, but he wasn't much taller than Keira, who strategically positioned her feet to prevent being moved. She had also immobilized his arms with her elbows, pressed against his torso, leaving no chance for escape.

While the battered man who had been hit with the door remained on the ground, dazed and bleeding, the third one ran toward them, gun aimed at Keira. Luke responded by pointing his own weapon at him, escalating the tension. Seconds of silence enveloped the atmosphere in the parking lot.

"Drop the weapon, or I'll kill him," Keira threatened, glaring at the knife she had pressed against the bald man's throat. The bald man chuckled, struggling to breath.

"Dan, you're not going to let a little girl threaten you—"

"The little girl had the worst 48 hours of her life," Keira whispered in the man's ear, a tone blending intimidation with madness. "She's dying to take it out on the first bald drug dealer that crosses her path."