Maverick saw the Thief stop the blade, albeit bloodily, and saw the Man throw a Blade in return. Maverick Could have attempted to dodge it, try to move out of the way so as to let the blade slice through empty air. Or perhaps he could have attempted to pull out his pistol and kill the Thief before he could react. But he didn't. Instead, he moved his left arm into the path of the blade and braced for the pain. Unfortunately, the blade moved too fast, thrown as it was by the Thief. The Blade plunged itself into The Artificer's Shoulder.
Even then, Maverick could have attempted to fight in relatively even ground with the Assassin. Instead, after staggering from the pain for a few moments, Maverick looked up, a smile evident on his face.
"Well then....that answers a LOT of my questions." Maverick said as he clutched his shoulder with his left hand. "You are an Assassin. A well trained one at that. The fact that I had to throw a Knife at you for that to be evident means that you want to keep it hidden."
Maverick kept up the pressure on his shouler, letting the remaining cloth on his hand act as a Gauze on the wound around the Knife. "Since the Girl hasn't learnt anything from you until Now, I assume that you've been keeping your nature hidden away from her until recently. Even right after the Battle, if you were particularly foolish. Judging from your skill, I believe that you are not a Novice are you?" Maverick said as he looked at The Assassin with a smile, part mocking, part sad. "You and I are.....disturbingly alike Assassin. Very Disturbingly alike. You have killed men because you Had to, in order to survive. I have killed men when I needed to, in order for my goal to be met. You and I are an expert in the Elimination of our Fellow Man. Both of us are, I believe, Monsters. Several things seperates us from each other though. Very Important things....."
Maverick breathed deeply and pulled out the knife with a swift pull. The agony he felt was made only apparent by his grit teeth and how his left hand trembled before he grasped his shoulder with an Iron Grip. Blood flowed from the wound like a stream, and Maverick kept talking as his right hand rummaged around his pockets. "You have not been a Monster long. The Trials and....events, that had shaped your life turned you into what you are yes. But I believe you had an Anchor. A chain that kept you grounded on the Path to Morality. I only had myself and my own delusions. In that, it was already fated that we would be totally different." Maverick said with a bitter tone.
He continued, his face kept within the Darkness "Second, you don't have the kind of goal I have. Yes, perhaps you cherish the Goal of living a Normal Life with your sister, I do not cherish such a dream. I am...well, between Monster to Monster? I'm going on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. I'm almost in place as well. I just have to wait a little longer."
Maverick looked up at the Assassin, Pale Moonlight Illuminating his face. Blood, his own blood, was drenched messily, chaotically, onto his face. His eyes were narrowed and beheld a clod and calculating mind. His Pupils, and now it was apparent that his eyes were magically altered, were bloody red. Maverick spoke in a soft whispering, Terrible tone. "The most Important thing however, is that you still believe you can attain Redemption. While I cast aside that Possibility long ago. I will attain my revenge Assassin. But I suggest you do not Interfere in my quest. Understand?" His face twisted in a Visage of Wrath. A cold, dormant Wrath that would give only what was required for Victory. Not a Berserker Rage, the farthest thing from it truly.
All in a moment, the Artificer's face returned to It's original form. That of a Young, Sarcastic and Deadpan young man. He smiled pleasantly at the Assassin, "I hope though, that you do not feel the urge to kill me. Birds of the Same Feather should always stick together you know."
