I'm just a loner baby

[solitarysoul]

Who: Levi and two upset dads
What: Foiled assassination attempt
When: Late in the month, at night
Where: Just outside the Gas Station

Content Warnings: Levi's child soldiers warnings is likely to come up. Also he's trying to kill a dude so there's that. Will add anything else if it comes up.

Just past the tree line, Levi was pointing his rifle towards the gas station. No one had given him the mission, but Levi still thought of it as one. He'd surveyed the gas station the Forest Talker was being held in for hours, waiting for just the right moment. And he was pretty sure this was it, since no one was in there with the Talker and it was late. Most people should be asleep; a gunshot might wake them, but hunting and predators were common enough around here that it probably wouldn't raise too many suspicions. The gas station was on the outskirts of town, after all, and he was taking the shot from within the woods.

He takes a deep breath and lines up his shot through the window. A single shot to the head should do it, unless this guy had some sort of special power. Which he couldn't rule out, but he'd deal with if it happened.

Comments

[maintiensledroit]

"We don't know that he isn't, but we also don't know that he is, Levi." He shakes his head at the young man, sympathetic but firm. "We don't have to go to war. There are ways to protect the people here that don't require violence."

Levi might be right, and violence might be inevitable, but he's never given up and given in simply because it's easier, because it's faster. "Bigby's right. Whoever made this decision wasn't thinking about the people here, but I know you do. You want to protect them, don't you? Our people here in Milton, or out in Lakeside?"

[solitarysoul]

Levi holds on to the rifle like his life depends on it. It has a number of times and the firearm is the closest thing to a comfort he has. He may not be strong enough to tug it out of Bigby's hands but he'll fight like hell to keep it from leaving his.

"You think these guys will respect us trying to keep things peaceful? They rejected that long ago. Did you not see the displays on the other side of the mountain?"

[bigbaddy]

The upside right now is that Bigby doesn't bother to answer Levi's question with another snapped back answer, opting to leave that up to the guy here who's clearly better when it comes to using his words.

The downside is that it means he's even more focused on the rifle, just straight up not wanting it in Levi's hands. Not right now. He can get it back later if he proves responsible enough, but he does not want it there in the middle of this talk. It means that Bigby is putting even more strength into it until he manages to tug it straight up out of Levi's hands - though the force may be enough to accidentally knock Levi right onto his butt into the snow.

Sorry, bud. Bigby takes a few steps backwards with it in his hands, looking pissed, but otherwise not saying anything else.

[maintiensledroit]

"I understand why you feel that way." If Levi stumbles, Fraser will step forward and offer a hand to help him back up. In contrast to Bigby, he's still calm, the pitch of his voice firm but sympathetic.

"But we can't control anyone else's actions, only our own. And if you live your life only on what someone else might do, you might miss the chance to decide what you want to do. Only you get to decide what sort of person you want to be, Levi."

He fixes a serious stare on the young man. "I know sometimes it seems like you have no other choice. I promise that isn't true."

[solitarysoul]

The others may or may not notice the tears welling up in Levi's eyes as he loses his grip on the rifle. He utters a startled yelp as Bigby wrests it free and tumbles forward onto his knees in the snow. He ignores Fraser's offer to help him up.

"I know who I am. I know what I am. I didn't make this choice without thinking of it. I know what I'm doing." He stands up, dusting the snow off his pants and looks squarely at Fraser. "I want to eliminate a threat to this town. You can't just pretend things will be okay because you don't want to face the possibility that they won't."

Despite his brave(?) face and the lack of emotion in his voice, there are still tears at the edges of Levi's eyes. He's pissed off, but feeling very vulnerable without his own form of safety of the past six years.

[bigbaddy]

Bigby has taken a few steps backwards. Mostly to keep Levi from being able to just jump over and grab the gun back from him, but also because Bigby knows he needs to give himself a few moments to cool down before he starts getting too worked up here. It's likely not going to do anything great in this situation, except make the tension for everyone involved even worse.

He really tries his best to do something he usually never does, to a point where it almost feels unnatural to him. He stands there, and just.. breathes. Or tries to, anyway. His anger sinks just a little bit, just enough for his eyes to stop glowing ominously, instead returning to their usual human color.

It helps him sound a little less angry - still gruff, yes, but a little less like he's about to tear the kid's head off over this - when he speaks up again.

"Then what did you imagine the outcome of this would be, Levi?"