A title I can live with

So, after all that playing at cat and mouse I finally got my confrontation with the woman who had been following me. Bitch wound up ruining a perfectly good kill too.

I was stalking a Slenderproxy I'd traced back to three Runner deaths by arson in the last month and I'd finally managed to catch him in an alley away from witnesses. Had my knife out, carefully approaching from behind planning to slit his throat and she just turns up behind me and clears her throat. Of course that gets his attention and he turns and sees me with my knife out. Seeing as he's a torcher not a fighter he uses whatever fucking mumbo jumbo it is their faceless bastard of a boss gives them and Paths the hell out of there.

I turn on her, furious, and she speaks up meek and quiet as mouse - staring at her damn feet the whole time. "Mr. [Proxiehunter]*, Sir. This one did not come to fight you. This one is only delivering a message. This one's Mistress will be unhappy if the message is not accepted." Yeah, like I needed more conformation of what it was she served, I'm only aware of two Things that can be properly identified as female in this line of work and this lady didn't seem like someone who'd been through an encounter with Little Nameless. I told her to talk quick or I just might carve a piece of her to make up for missing that damn Slenderproxy and it happened . . .

She jerked ramrod straight like she'd been pulled by a string and her eyes went blank. The next words out of her mouth sounded hollow, like they were coming through a bad mic and her jaw flapped like a ventriloquists dummy instead of her forming her words like a normal person.

"[Proxiehunter], Slayer of the Chosen, Pawn who has gone Rogue. You upset the balance of the Game. Your interference has allowed pieces to remain on the board that should have been taken long ago, and removed those that should still be in play. This is your only warning. Cease to interfere with Our Game or you will be dealt with." After that the Wooden Bitch's control left her and she nearly collapsed. I reached out to grab her, to try and get more information out of her, but she turned and suddenly a Door appeared behind her. I backed off quick when I saw that, the last thing I need is a one way trip to the Empty City. Hell, I'd rather go to Detroit. She opened the Door and went through and it vanished behind her as she shut it.

Slayer of the Chosen, I can live with that but I'm no one's fucking Pawn. Did the Wooden Bitch really think this was going to scare me off? Besides that damn Proxy is still out there lighting up Runner's housing while they sleep.

*She used my real name here, I have no clue how she or her boss managed to find that. And for those who have seen the name I used to sign up for some of the online services I use to communicate, did you really think John Smith was my real name?