Ukyo's fist sailed in a savage arc directly toward the black-clad man's
head. For a second, she thought it would connect when from out of nowhere a
hand caught her fist a mere few centimeters before contact.
She struggled to free her fist from his grip, which seemed to tighten like
a vice. The bones in her hand began to crunch together under the almost
inhuman force of his hand. Resisting the urge to scream in pain, she
wouldn't give him the satisfaction, she began to wonder if in fact he wasn't
chromed, some cyberware in just the right places to give him the advantage.
Quick as a snake, his other hand closed around her throat, blocking off air
flow to her lungs. Choking and gurgling deep in her throat, she was hoisted
off the floor as easily as if she were little more than a ragdoll to him. As
the phone began to ring in the main room once again, she gazed into his
violet eyes, seeing not anger, but almost a sense of regret there. Just who
the hell was he?
No sooner than the thought formed, she found herself flying through space
toward the open bedroom door. She sailed through the doorway, landing on her
back and rolling into the hallway. Struggling to her feet, she realized that
she was in deeper trouble than she first thought. Looking over to her right,
her eyes fell on the black telephone set on the small end table by the sofa.
If she could just get some help up here...
--------------------------------
//She can't STILL be in the shower,\\ Chance thought irritably as he
continued his walk toward Ukyo's apartment. Militech had sprung for a modest
place in one of the middle-class districts of Tokyo, Ukyo having been
homeless at the time.
The phone rang for the fourth time when he heard the connection open on the
other end. Instead of her distinct, "Howdy!", he heard the sound of
violence. A female voice shouted in anger and pain, a voice he recognized as
Ukyo's.
"Bloody hell!" he shouted, tossing the sixpack to the nearest passerby and
breaking into a run.
---------------------------------
Ukyo lay on her stomach, pain throbbing in every inch of her body. Every
breath caused a fresh stab of pain down her right side, but nothing she
couldn't deal with. So what if she had a bruised rib or two?
Fighting past the pain, she opened her left eye, the right one swollen shut
from a viscious blow delivered by her assailant. She struggled to rise to
her feet again, despite her body screaming at her to stay down. If this guy,
whoever he was, wanted to rape her, he'd have to kill her first!
She finally managed to stand, wobbling on her feet as her knees threatened
to buckle. He stood across from her, silent and menacing.
"C'mon, you sick son of a bitch," Ukyo said hoarsely, thin trails of blood
trickling from her nose and busted lip. She'd fight for as long and as hard
as she could manage.
--------------------------------
Shan Pu glared at Ukyo through slitted eyes, her anger residing gradually
as she breathed deeply. Ukyo was a decent scapper, Shan Pu would give her
that, but she just didn't know when to fucking quit!
The injuries Shan Pu had inflicted were painful, sure, but wouldn't keep
her off the track. The whole process had gotten tiresome, and it was time to
end it. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a small black oval-shaped piece
of plastic.
Pressing into the side with her thumb, a long blade slapped into place, the
razor-keen knife ready for action. She saw Ukyo's eyes widen a little at the
sight of it.
//Nothing fatal,\\ she thought, //just serious enough to get her off the
track.\\
She advanced with the best manly gait she could manage, the knife gripped
tightly in her hand. Just one or two quick strikes and she would be gone.
Before she could deliver the blow, the door burst violently inward. Stunned
by the sudden intrusion, she just stood there as the purple-haired man
charged in, a fearful and angry look on his face. He glared at her, his eyes
burning with an intensity she found almost frightening. The brown sportcoat
and slacks hid his physique, but his bearing spoke of one who was definitely
a trained fighter. She would have to take him out quickly.
With impressive speed, he reached into his coat and pulled out a firearm
with a cylindrical extension on the end. Shan Pu had undergone weapons
training while in the employ of Joketsuzoku, and recognized the silenced
.357 Sig. Just how he managed to carry one with Japan's ultra-strict gun
laws was a mystery, but not one she had time to ponder. The suit could
easily handle most tazers, which is what Ukyo had been armed with, but
didn't fare nearly as well when it came to bullets.
"Make a move, and I'll plug you here and now," he said, his Japanese
carrying a rather strange accent.
Much as it galled her, she had to admit defeat and make a hasty retreat.
Pressing her fingers into the palm of her left hand, she closed her eyes and
activated the small strobe located on her waist. The blinding flash caused
the two to cover their eyes in pain and surprise, giving her just enough
time to escape. Charging to the window, Shan Pu dove through the glass and
onto the fire escape outside. Moving as quickly as she could, she vanished
into the shadows and began the trek back to the warehouse. Khu Lon would not
be pleased...
--------------------------------------
"Ukyo!" Chance exclaimed as he ran to her side. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Ukyo said weakly, looking as if she would topple at any second.
carefully, he placed an arm around her waist to support her. She was
injured, but not seriously as far as he could tell.
The apartment was in a total shambles. One of the tables had been smashed,
the other lying on its side. The couch was also overturned, some of its
cushions scattered about the floor. The television lay smashed on its side,
sparks still flaring inside its ruined guts.
"Whow was that?" Chance asked, his relief and his fear warring for dominance.
"No... idea..." Ukyo gasped, sagging in his grip. The adenaline in her
bloodstream was beginning to thin out, the combat high fading as it always
did. Once gone, she would be exhausted beyond words and in her condition,
that could prove very dangerous.
"We have to get you to a doctor," Chance said, pulling out his cell phone.
"Came... just in time," Ukyo said, her eyes beginning to close as the
combat high continued to fade. "Sorry... 'bout dinner... sugar."
"Ukyo!" Chance shouted as she slipped into unconsciousness. Quickly dailing
the emergency response number, he immediately barked for the female voice
who answered to send an ambulance. He would NOT let anything happen to Ukyo,
no mater what.
=========================================
Wow, this took awhile. Hope you enjoyed it!
Jed