"Shooting Range"

Revenant snapped the magazine into the Kraber, hearing the satisfying click before lifting the gun and peering down into its scope. He was on top of the highest point of a gated tower at the Apex firing range. He was alone. Something he preferred. He pointed the long barrel down at his own personal target, a poorly drawn blue-haired young man. Loba Andrade's best friend. Jamie. Revenant pulled the bolt back, loading the bullet into the chamber. His optics whirled into focus, he aimed, and fired.

A loud pop broke through the air, the bullet making contact with the target's ear, breaking through the wood and creating a cloud of dirt from behind.

"Damn!" Revenant said, followed by a string of curses from missing the headshot.

"Hm. How disappointing."

Revenant lowered his gaze, glancing behind to see Ash. She had her arms crossed and was leaning against the fenced scaffolding of the tower. It was a surprise to see her. She was the only one who could sneak up on him. This annoyed him.Since he knew she could stab him in the back and have him reborn in a new shell if she wanted to. Before reloading his weapon, he gave her a dry scoff.

"I signed up to have this range for myself cuz I ain't the sharing type. Scram." He said, waving her away before adjusting his scope. Ash ignored him, strolling beside him. He was about to threaten her a second time until he saw her holding out a white sheet of paper. It was the Apex Calendar that listed the times and names of each legend to have access to the firing range. Regretfully, he saw Ash's name. Grabbing the paper from her hand, he read it again. "What the hell?"

"It appears we both signed up to have the firing range for ourselves." She said in a matter of fact tone. He responded by cursing bitterly, rolling up the paper, and tossing it off the tower.

"Whatever. Just stay out of my way." He said, returning to focusing on the targets.

"You do need practice." Ash said, crossing her arms once more. "From what I witnessed, I was surprised to see how years of your "supposed" profession did not improve your skills."

"Ha. Hey, tell me how a "pilot" ended up in a dumpster." He snapped back. Ash gave him a click from her non-existent tongue, offering no reply. Revenant felt himself grin in satisfaction and aimed the barrel down at his target. He pulled the trigger, hitting the chest area, a kill shot, but he was not aiming for that type of shot.

"Damn it!"

Ash released a hum of interest and Revenant rolled his eyes. "Have something to say, Miss Perfect?" He said, trying his aim again. Ash stepped towards him and with a finger, raised the barrel a few inches. Revenant tilted his head, and peered through the scope. She took a step back.

"Now you may shoot."

Revenant hesitated, not trusting her judgment. In addition to not holding the weapon, she could not see through the scope.The notion that her light touch had changed anything was absurd. However, as he looked through the scope, he noticed that it appeared to be aligned. As soon as he pulled the trigger, the target's head was blown apart.

"Huh." Revenant sounded. "Well, what do you know?"

"You sound surprised." Ash said, taking a step back towards him. She ran her palm against the barrel, inspecting it. "You should be aware of my marksmanship by now considering how many matches we had together." He blinked at her, feeling his hand twitch against the handle of the gun.

"I haven't been paying attention." He admitted, followed by a shrug.

"Clearly." She said in a dull tone. She removed her hand from the barrel and turned her attention to the shattered target below. "You have been distracted."

Revenant felt his throat tighten. He was suddenly consumed by thoughts of Loba, her betrayal, his source code, and his unremitting depression and the neverending misery of his immortal life. He shook the thoughts away, not wanting to be consumed by them again. "I don't know what you're talking about..." He said in a low tone. Ash turned back to him and placed her palm against the body of the kraber.

"You lack focus. Perhaps I can be of assistance."

Revenant snorted. "You want to help me? I don't buy it. What's in it for you?"

Ash stared up at him. "It's nothing too complicated. I'd like to help you hone your skills. It will be beneficial for me in the long run." If he had brows, he would have raised them. It was challenging for him to see what expression she was wearing through her porcelain mask. It's easy to read someone's true intentions by what expression they wear, how their eyes look, or how their lips move. But Revenant and Ash were different. Being Simulacrums. And lack of facial muscles.

"In what way?" He pressed.

"It's simple. I want to win." She said, her gaze lingering. "I think you have some potential and I'd like to help you reach that potential. I'm sure that if you put your full focus into it, we could have some very competitive matches." Ash grabbed Revenant's chin, her thumb brushing against his metal skin. "And I intend to win every one of them."

"Alright. You convinced me." He grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from him. "What's the trick?" He asked, motioning his hand back towards the sniper rifle. She looked up and down his stance as she took a step back.

"You must relax your hips and strengthen your core." She stated and unexpectedly placed her hands on his hips. He felt himself tense up but quickly forced himself to relax when she circled behind him. "Keep your shoulders back..." Her hands pulled his shoulders and he felt himself freeze as her hands moved back to his hips. "It will help with your balance." She said softly into his ear before taking a step away from him. He would be lying if he said that her touch didn't thrill him. In fact, he was disappointed when she took a few steps back. "And do not forget to keep your chin straight."

Lifting the rifle, he returned his attention to the targets below. He took a few deep breaths, steadied his aim, and fired. As a result, the target's head was blown apart. The two of them chuckled with satisfaction, turning their heads towards each other.

"Well done," Ash said. "With enough practice, you might be able to match my skills."

"Sounds like a challenge, girlie. How about grabbing a rifle and we can put it to the test? I'll even let you go first."

"Have you already gained confidence? Beware. I will knock you back down." She said with a slight hint of playfulness.

Revenant gave her a smirk and began walking towards her. "I'd like to see you try." He said, his voice low and inviting. She closed the distance between them, their bodies almost touching.

"I enjoy a challenge." She said, running her fingers up along his neck. He leaned towards her touch, his own hand reaching out towards her slim waist, ready to take her. Then, just as quickly as it began, she backed away. "We shall use sentinials for the first round. Best out of 5 and we will work our way up from there." She said, brushing past him towards the tower stairs. His shoulders slumped down when he watched her go to retrieve the rifles. He clicked his tongue in mild disappointment. He had been taken aback by her sudden shift in tone and body language. Her intentions seemed to have changed or even worse, he misread the situation entirely. He was disappointed but he was still willing to play in their small competition. He had a goal to complete, focusing on the targets below. His thoughts returned to Loba and what she had taken from him. His hands tightly clung around the rifle's handle, feeling the metal strain against his strength.

'You have been distracted...'

No. He wasn't.