Ben 10: City of Sin

Glade pulled out her gun. 

It was first instinct

You either ran, or you pulled out what you were strapping.  

Self defense classes in Sion City always told you this. That in the moment of the crisis you had one of these two options, and it was that first option that often told you if you were going to survive. 

Split second judgement was the key. 

If you ran from somebody you shouldn't run from, you would die. If you pulled your gun on somebody who you shouldn't try to fight back against, you would die. 

If you were facing somebody where both ideas were bad, you picked one or the other and at least you had a chance. 

Glade always ran if it was just herself. 

But when it was her students- she knew what option she'd fucking pick no matter what her judgement told her.

And when she whipped out her pistol and pointed it straight at Wild Beast's face, the man's brow raised slightly in surprise. 

"You think bullets work on me girl?" He grunted. "What are you- their mom?"

"No.. just their tutor.." Glade gasped.

Her heart beat like a drum. It was beating so loud that she felt her arms nearly superheat from the amount of blood being rushed through them. 

Adrenaline. 

Her body was primed, fear was rushing through her eyes, fueling her. 

This was not a fight she could win. But she knew if she didn't, somehow, that Ben and Olivia's lives as human beings were over. 

Whatever war crimes they performed on Olivia's body.. they would do to Ben too..

Taydenite.. 

She couldn't express just how much... 

just how much she HATED Taydenite.. for what it turned people into. 

Glade felt anger replace her fear as she looked at the new Taydenium armaments and cybernetics on this guy as she twitched her finger over the trigger. 

Beast simply stared down at her for a moment, contemplating her. 

"I've been where you were..." He said finally. "I have children, I have a wife. Our tribe, my family depends on each other. But after that girl.. after that.. boy.. turned up-  the tribe punished me.. for losing the lives of those of my men who perished in those explosions. They had families too.. my wife.. my children- you know what the price is for losing in the Badlanders?" 

Beast pointed at a locket hanging from his neck, made of silver, stained with dried blood. "I haven't been able to wash what's left of em off.. could never bring myself to. Those two.. those two did this to me. I don't care that they are just children. I don't care that this is just the price of being a Soldier for Hire, a Mercenary.. that their is no firm black line.. no.. I'm tired of it.. I'm tired of it all-

Beast leaned in to Glade, his goggles reflecting her debris and soot stained face, filled with a combination of fear and anger.   

"Step aside, I'm sure you have a family. Those two.. aren't worth it. They're monsters. The both of them. Do you even KNOW what that boy can do? The pain he can cause? Desmond told me how he MADE that girl..  I may be called a beast... but them- they are real monsters.." 

Glade could hear the fear in Beast's voice. He wasn't trying to exaggerate, he wasn't trying to lie.  He genuinely believed his own words, and a part of her was starting to believe him too..