Chapter Text
Franco gave chase as soon as he heard the unmistakable sound of steps on glass. Seeing the back of a reagent rounding a corner into the dark of a one of the sewer corridors. He shot once, he was too far to hit but he knew the fear the reagent would feel at his aggressive pursuit would make it all the better when he finally caught them. He let out a yell as he stormed into the darkened hall, water sloshing at his feet as he scanned the dark looking for any sign of movement. He heard a soft click as a gate opened around the corner, he knew exactly where they were now. He gently moved through the water, trying hard to not let the water be audible. Turning the corner he was able to slip into the gate just as it lowered behind him.
Taking a moment to scan his surroundings he found the screens in the room counting up, they were definitely here. He heard the sloshing of water from somewhere to his right, the ripples of the water coming into view from the dull light overhead. He turned quick and shot again, this time hearing a sharp cry of pain followed by even more urgent splashing. He chuckled to himself knowing that he'd hit his target.
Taking a few steps into the dark he followed the noise to the back of the room. A voice from the intercom let out a "paused" as the humming of the screens came to a stop. He heard a soft beeping which he followed knowing that the reagent would also make their way towards it. He came to an overhead door, partially closed, he ducked under and found another door leading to a room with a bar and tables.
He took a moment to reload his Lupara, letting out a low growl as he did.
"Where are you hiding you rat?" the words dripping with venom. He lazily swung his Lupara around, scanning the room for any movement or noise. The sound of water splashing in the room he'd just left drew his attention back to the door. He swung around with a growl and was almost back out the door when the sound of bottles clattering to the floor behind him made him stop.
He quickly turned and shot, the teeth shattering glasses and knocking one of the mannequins to the floor with a harsh thud. He saw for a moment the faint shape of a person low to the ground, scurrying between some chairs and towards a small illuminated lever on the wall. He let out a yell as he shot again, glasses tumbled to the ground but he'd failed to hit the reagent as they continued to the wall and reached a hand up to grab the lever.
"Im not letting ya get away!" he yelled out running to close the distance between him and the reagent. They had just flipped the lever up as Franco reached out, grabbing them by the hair and throwing them hard to the ground.
He brought his foot down on where their chest would be, hearing a crack as the E.S.O.P. sparked, cracking as it did. He quickly pinned them to the ground using his legs to pin theirs under him. He brought the butt of his gun down on their face, feeling their hands reach out in an attempt to stop him. The butt connected with a dull thump. He felt exhilarated, raising the gun to bring it down again.
"Resuming" the buzzing voice echoed through the intercom in the room. The lights flickered on, lighting up the entire area as the humming of the machine in the other room started up again. For the first time in his pursuit he was able to see the them, he stilled the gun above his head. He froze, the bloody face under him staring up in terror, one hand held out to push him away, the other held weakly over her face. He was confused by his own reaction, studying her face for a reason as to why he had suddenly felt the urge to stop.
It felt like time had stopped, though it had only been seconds. When he locked eyes with her he knew immediately who she was, even with the fresh blood and her hand obscuring half her face. He felt his heart sink, a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. He lowered the gun slightly causing a flinch from the woman under him. He could see the look of confusion in her eyes as the gun failed to come down, flicking between the gun and his face. Franco felt his throat tighten as he tried to push out the name, the sounds feeling foreign in his mouth. The name heavy as he let it out, almost in a whisper.
"An-Angie?"