"Run, Hunter!"
Easier said than done. As soon as Paladin bolted, the rag man was hot on his heels.
I raised my Inferno Revolver and fired at him. As soon as I pulled the trigger, his huge, bear head shifted ever so slightly towards me.
It happened in less than a second. The projectile lava blasted towards him, and he turned back into a human and fell just fast enough to be untouched. The shot continued to melt through the wall on the other side of the alley, while he stumbled from his fall. Without thinking, I ran between him and the direction Paladin had run.
He'd made it abundantly clear he could catch up as a bear if we tried to run. I needed something more... permanent.
Okay, straight alley, cops coming from the front, angry bear guy also in front of me. Couldn't just run though, Bear would catch us. Hole in the right wall, my shot, and a fire escape up above. Oh, there we go. There was a man on the fire escape, no doubt drawn by the noises and his own curiosity.
"Don't move!" A voice said from the other side of the alley, and I realized things must have been happening while I was thinking. Cops had caught up with me. Weird, since my peripheral vision would have let me know if bear man had moved, which he hadn't since I started thinking.
I looked down at him. He looked up at me intensely.
"YOUR SMELL, WHAT ARE YOU?!" He bellowed, until he jumped up energetically. "NEVER MIND THAT! WHY DO YOU STAND BETWEEN ME AND THE PENGUIN SLAYER?!"
Did think only paladin was involved? But then, he mentioned smell. I didn't jump in and get penguin blood on my shoes, so I must smell innocent to him.
"He's an interesting person. I reckon I'd observe him a little longer," I said, wondering what the best angle would be for my plan. Definitely not where I was standing, I'd have to shoot through the bystander to get my target. A little more forward? But then if I advance, both he and the cops will react. He was something, but the cops and the guns were something else. I couldn't draw their fire, not in this small an alleyway.
"HE WHO DEFENDS A MURDERER CAN ONLY BE A VILLAIN! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR NATURE'S WRATH, METED OUT THROUGH MY FISTS!" He yelled out again, before advancing onto me.
Well, that works.
I I walk at him, meeting him halfway. A small part of my mind decides to point out that I have my angle, but it's immediately blocked out by a much louder part telling me I had a right jab coming.
Wasn't going to work on me, pal. I've seen your trick. Instead of moving back, I move to the side. His hand turns into a bear paw and harmlessly hits nothing with its added range and power.
I couldn't counter with my right hand, it was holding my gun. So instead, I twist and try to hook him with my left. A complete amateur's punch, which he easily dodged by pulling his head back. He pulled his jab back and back handed me right in the jaw, making me fall with my back against the alley wall.
I saw stars, had a circus in my head, flopped like spaghetti and more. For a second, I was entirely out of it. He stood above me, checking me out, and I almost heard cops moving in.
A thought occurred to me: Down here, I had a really good angle. It might be worth the shot.
I grabbed the Inferno Revolver with both hands the same way someone would hold an assault rifle and fired straight up, where my assailant's face was sniffing me, four times.
"WHAT?!" He shouted in surprise as he nimbly got out of the way, and out of my face.
He was not the target, though. Four shots went straight upwards, melting and destroying supports for the fire escape until only the two lowest supports we left. The entire construct shook and started leaning outwards slowly, until it fully decided to fall.
Bear looked at me, and I pointed up. Oh no, there was a man falling with the fire escape, someone help him!
"YOU FIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND!" He yelled as he turned into a gigantic eagle, soaring upwards and catching the man as he did so.
I wasted no time. While the cops reeled at the sight of destruction, I ran away, out of the alley. In the street, I found a manhole with a penguin on it, a clear message. I pulled it off and jumped in, just to see paladin.
"Howdy," I could only say, with an undoubtedly bruised chin.