Zellio continued to peer inquisitively over his shoulder at the unmoving figure. The sun made it hard to see any features, but it was possible to discern that he was male. And while the Enigma remained unaffected by his powerful stance, it could be said that the man had a certain air of confidence about him.

The white man stood from the pool and began shaking his legs inside his wet jeans. He turned around and placed one of the pistols back into the pocket of his jeans. Meanwhile, it seemed that the figure was shifting slightly. Zellio pushed the magazine into the gun and readied a shot. While the mystery of the man intrigued him, he didn’t appreciate the opposition.

As he readied to fire, something came flying at his hand and sent the gun flying into the chlorinated depths of the pool. Zellio cocked an eyebrow as he wondered what had struck him. “You’re fast,” he shouted to the man, unsure if he would be able to hear him from such a distance. There came no audible reply.

Taking the sheathed pistol from underneath his heavy coat, Zellio made sure to wield it with tighter fingers. Another object came flying at him before he could raise the firearm. This time, however, he was ready for it. As the arrow passed only an inch from his cheek, he accelerated and caught it in his right hand.

He looked the projectile over before he snapped it in half. Whoever the figure on the higher deck was, he was mocking Zellio. The arrow, while well crafted, was completed by a pink heart as a head. As he let it fall, it faded into a carefree golden dust.

Zellio turned back around, determined to get a better view of his foe. Just as his keen ears caught the sound of a strained bow, he jumped into the air. The arrow just barely missed his foot as he continued to move upwards. He began to fall and landed on the slanted roof in between decks. Another arrow nearly hit him as he jumped again.

This time around, he fell just behind the other man. He spun himself around and saw that the soon to be dead archer was wearing nothing more than a tight pair of white shorts. He spun around and the moving of his light hair revealed the surprised blue eyes.

There was a moment of silence between the two before the man brought his bow back up. As he grabbed an arrow from his quiver, Zellio stepped back, genuinely interested in the man’s origins. Another arrow shot forth and Zellio had to jerk to avoid it. He hadn’t appreciated from afar just how quickly they moved.

Straightening himself, Zellio heard a whimper from somewhere behind him. Realizing for the first time that the two warriors weren’t the only ones left on deck, he decided to ignore the other man. Just as he took a step toward the woman crying behind the chair, he felt something strike his posterior.

His face contorted until he felt the pain disappear along with the childishly decorated arrow. And then something strange engulfed him. He couldn’t explain exactly what it was, but it seemed like every thought melted away from his mind and was replaced with a new one. Suddenly, he’d lost the will to impose pain on the frightened young woman. All thoughts of the attacker behind him disappeared as he walked over to the young lady.

Her hair was long and brown and she was wearing a blue t-shirt and a white skirt. Her face was soft but her eyes were filled with fear. Zellio walked calmly over to her and she flinched as he offered her his hand. Reluctantly, she took it and he helped her up. She might’ve frightened easy, but she was low on prejudice.

The angelic archer smiled as he observed what he’d done. It was a temporary solution, of course, but it was definitely an improvement. Imagine how his sense of accomplishment was crushed, then, when he took a second look. Instead of walking off to the ice cream bar with his newfound love interest, Zellio had his arm around her waist and was trying to forcibly get himself a kiss. Whatever feelings of safety the woman had felt toward the Enigma had disappeared more quickly than they had spawned.

“Oh come on,” he said, rolling his eyes in disbelief. He threw his bow over his shoulder and walked slowly up to the impulsive bastard. He tapped him on the shoulder and tried to pry him away from the innocent girl. Zellio pulled his head away momentarily and shot him a queer look. He then brought his free hand up and pushed the angel’s chest.

Despite the seemingly small effort put into the push, the certified cupid was sent flying back onto an empty lawn chair. As he stood groggily back up, he realized that he’d done more harm than good. Would he be able to undo it?

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