Damsel Causing Distress - Episode 6 (11) - Sixty Seconds Have Passed
Note: My (mis)adventures are part of a bigger series, but I wrote my tales in the format of an episodic T.V. show, where you can read an episode without the context of the others and still enjoy it. If anything, reading it out of order may be more fun. - A finished Theseus
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I grabbed his gun and then in a move that made me extremely unlikable, as he laid on the ground, while he thrashed around, still tased, I used him as a piece of cover.
While I did my best to remember where exactly they put the safety on these things. It was a submachine gun, Caelum design of course. It’s design and function I was told in history class but barely remember now. They looked, in my view at least, a funny looking SKS. More akin to your grandfather's old bolt action rifle than any ‘laser gun’ I saw in old movies.
Anything that didn’t need to be metal was polymer, it didn’t have a pistol grip, just a slight curve down as it connected to the stock. The magazine was clearly made for pistol rounds, in this case stuns. The polymer went around the magazine well, then forward as still one solid piece.
With just enough room in the front for your hand, and nothing more but a short barrel. It was as compact as they could physically make it, though still well built. It wasn’t some slick laser gun without a single harsh edge, or some blocky rectangle with a thumbhole stock. It was a rifle that just so happened to fire smaller bullets. Solid, practical, simple. Each Caelum long arm a variation of this rifle design, of that same principle.
And I just found the full auto switch.
“Scout duck!” I made sure to yell in English.
I aimed the weapon meant for me, low. Noticed how the handle was still warm from the person I ‘relieved’ it from, then dumped the entire magazine of taser rounds at the clump of swords for hire in front of me. It was a hail of taser rounds, they still sparked as they flung themselves towards the group.
The group, not being stupid still returned fire towards my general direction, however as I laid prone on the ground, most of their rounds went well over my head, or quite regrettably into the man I was using as cover.
I heard more groans from him, that passed pain and just became exhaustion. Nineteen bodies fell hard onto the concrete tunnels in a wave. I needed to aim for their legs after all, so it was less of a fall and more like an invisible rope was tied to their ankles, then yanked away at the worst possible moment. Like a marionette’s string being pulled until it snapped.
“Sorry dude.” I whispered as I sprung myself up from my improvised cover. Feeling the old cracked concrete below.
“It’s fine.” He was able to barely gasp, as he fully accepted his fate. He closed his eyes and let the pain flow through him like a baptism.
“Scout, don’t shoot!” I yelled once again, as I ran to where I thought they were. I felt my lungs burn, while my hands struggled not to shake. But more than anything else, I just remember the exhaustion. It hit me out of nowhere, even though we finally slept that night, and ate as much as we could that morning, it didn’t matter.
We were on the run since Tuesday, my trigger finger was sore, half from firing, but more from the stress. My right eye still strained at bright lights, and I remember my head throbbing. Not just from getting hit, but the decision fatigue. All of those hundreds, then thousands of little decisions, that meant the difference between Ludus getting captured and the three of us escaping.
And I wanted nothing more at the moment, and I truly mean nothing more than just to lie down and nap. I have never, and I mean never been so tired in my life. I had no idea how I was even up. My legs just moved like some force greater than even my own control of my body puppeted me forward without my constant.
I struggled not to trip on my tasered foes, as they violently and uncontrollably broke dance on the floor. I jumped over the bodies and landed hard and off balance each time. I finally saw a glimpse of the two, Scout still crouched low with her pistol aimed, like she almost knew one of the kidnappers would suddenly get up and rush her. Ludus was still behind Scout, ready to sprint away at a moment's notice.
The two looked relieved to see me, but I saw that tiredness in both their eyes. I threw the SMG at Scout, she caught it easily while she looked only slightly horrified. “If they’re done being subtle, so are we.” And that was all I had left.
The last thing I remember before I collapsed into Scout’s arms was the look on her face as I started to fall. She didn’t even have the extra energy to scream or look surprised, she just took a half step to meet my body, now a lump of useless muscles that passed their limit two days ago.
The moment I knew the two were safe, I just fell.
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Author’s Note: Dude can’t catch a break.
Vaguely important second note: This series (for once), and bonus one shots are part of a writing challenge in which I write and post something every day until I finish writing the series. Thus being written like an episodic T.V. show.
Thanks for reading. :}
Day 10/ ?
Posted Aug 11, 2026, 2:50 AM UTC