[ He wasn’t prepared for that. Had been focused so wholly on MItsuhide that Xu Shu’s attack (and it is an attack, whatever the intention) catches him off-guard, and he’s flung backward before he can catch himself, before he even wholly knows where the impact’s coming from. It takes a moment - as he’s moving suddenly backward, as he’s disappearing, reappearing with firm footing a few feet back - to recognize what’s happened. To recognize who’d thrown him aside, though he can only begin to guess at the why and won’t bother to linger on it now.
In the time it’s taken to recover, Xu Shu’s already launched an attack, and— And. Daud could almost think the man was Void-touched (only it’s something else, some ability of his own, the details of which Daud’s never heard and never asked), the way he’s become almost impossible to see save in glances, the way there’s clear precision in his scarce-seen motions, the way there’s no stopping him.
The attack ends - so quickly, the boy must have been manipulating time, was certainly manipulating movement - and Daud becomes aware of two facts. Fact one: Xu Sh has collapsed and been left vulnerable. That Xu Shu will need to be defended. (More vaguely, he’s aware of a constriction in his chest, a question of whether Xu Shu’s been wounded or worse, whether some lasting damage has been done. He can’t think about that. There’s no use in it.)
Fact two: Mitsuhide’s still breathing.
The bastard’s still breathing.
And it wasn’t a fluke. The way Xu Shu was moving, he should have leveled deeper damage. Daud’s seen the man at work before, knows he’s capable of drawing blood and more. Which suggests that this was intentional. Which suggests that Xu Shu hadn’t intended to take down the bastard. What game is he playing at? What strategy would draw this out longer than need be?
(There’s something else, an odd conflictedness in Mitsuhide. Daud’s been glimpsing it, tracking it, but decides it doesn’t matter, not enough to call for a shift in tactics. It’s something to keep an eye on, nothing more.)
Whatever Xu Shu was planning - whatever the reason he threw Daud aside - it can’t happen this way. Daud’s intent on finishing the bastard, or coming as close to the job as he can.
Still. Xu Shu first. Take care of him if necessary (make certain he’s still breathing, make certain there’s no insurmountable bleeding out), or else what’s the point of this endeavor. Keeping an eye on Mitsuhide, Daud moves to Xu Shu, bends down on one knee. His plan is to do this quickly: gather up Xu Shu (thank fuck for the Void’s enhancements; Daud’s strong, true, but Xu Shu isn’t a small man, and Daud can feel his own strength flagging from repeated use of his abilities), then transport him out of the clearing and set him aside so Daud can finish with Mitsuhide.
It’s simple. It shouldn’t take long. And Daud feels certain he can do this. ]
no subject
In the time it’s taken to recover, Xu Shu’s already launched an attack, and— And. Daud could almost think the man was Void-touched (only it’s something else, some ability of his own, the details of which Daud’s never heard and never asked), the way he’s become almost impossible to see save in glances, the way there’s clear precision in his scarce-seen motions, the way there’s no stopping him.
The attack ends - so quickly, the boy must have been manipulating time, was certainly manipulating movement - and Daud becomes aware of two facts. Fact one: Xu Sh has collapsed and been left vulnerable. That Xu Shu will need to be defended. (More vaguely, he’s aware of a constriction in his chest, a question of whether Xu Shu’s been wounded or worse, whether some lasting damage has been done. He can’t think about that. There’s no use in it.)
Fact two: Mitsuhide’s still breathing.
The bastard’s still breathing.
And it wasn’t a fluke. The way Xu Shu was moving, he should have leveled deeper damage. Daud’s seen the man at work before, knows he’s capable of drawing blood and more. Which suggests that this was intentional. Which suggests that Xu Shu hadn’t intended to take down the bastard. What game is he playing at? What strategy would draw this out longer than need be?
(There’s something else, an odd conflictedness in Mitsuhide. Daud’s been glimpsing it, tracking it, but decides it doesn’t matter, not enough to call for a shift in tactics. It’s something to keep an eye on, nothing more.)
Whatever Xu Shu was planning - whatever the reason he threw Daud aside - it can’t happen this way. Daud’s intent on finishing the bastard, or coming as close to the job as he can.
Still. Xu Shu first. Take care of him if necessary (make certain he’s still breathing, make certain there’s no insurmountable bleeding out), or else what’s the point of this endeavor. Keeping an eye on Mitsuhide, Daud moves to Xu Shu, bends down on one knee. His plan is to do this quickly: gather up Xu Shu (thank fuck for the Void’s enhancements; Daud’s strong, true, but Xu Shu isn’t a small man, and Daud can feel his own strength flagging from repeated use of his abilities), then transport him out of the clearing and set him aside so Daud can finish with Mitsuhide.
It’s simple. It shouldn’t take long. And Daud feels certain he can do this. ]