Raegan and Chaya looked out across the crowded club. It never failed to amaze them how some places were so full of life these days, while others were barely surviving. Raegan turned to her sister and announced, "I think we need to get to those private areas higher up. That will be where the more important people are located."
Chaya nodded that her friend was probably correct.
Then, out of nowhere, a midget approached their table. He had a long beard and a spiked brown haircut styled high on his head. Looking up, he held a plate with two tall neon pink drinks sitting on it. "Complements of the house, pretty ladies," he proclaimed, passing up the drinks to the women.
Before the women could ask questions or say anything more, the small man was off and dashing into the crowd. As the ladies picked up their glasses, Raegan noticed a note attached to the bottom of Chaya's. It was an invitation to go upstairs and directions on how to get there. Chaya acted a bit surprised yet said, "I have to say, things move fast around here."
All the while, Mahira and Zaey continued to have no shortage of men, women, and cyborgs wanting to play with them on the dance floor. The music was so loud it was hard to have a decent conversation with any of them, so the ladies eventually left the floor and headed on over to the oval bar.
The island, which was surrounded with high-backed chairs, was lit up with all sorts of colors and had glasses hanging from its roof. As the ladies each grabbed a seat, Mahira called to the bar tender and ordered up a few drinks. Zaey shook her head. "Easy, we need to remain cognitive here." Mahira grabbed her cocktail and saluted her friend as they toasted to the night's upcoming adventures .
Within a matter of moments, a handsome mixed-race man came up to both girls and offered to buy them a second drink. Mahira liked what she saw, especially when he draped himself all over her right away. Zaey ended the foreplay with a move of her own. "I'm sorry, sir, she's my girlfriend and all mine for the evening." She then kissed Mahira passionately on the lips. The guy shook his head and went off without looking back.
Mahira frowned at her sister. "Did you just do what I think you just did?"
Both pairs of Mystical Slayers sought out as much information as they could in the hope that something relevant would turn up. That all changed when a random lunatic in the club started firing with some sort of flame throwing rifle. Panic and chaos instantly spread through the club when he started torching people on the dance floor.
Screaming patrons ran in various directions as the flame thrower, who appeared to be part robotic, charged through crowds of people with his deadly weapon.
The mad bot seemed unstoppable, but suddenly, a thick rope dropped down from high above, carrying a female flesh-colored android. Displaying a pink and white Mohawk and a body covered in black tattoos, she landed in the middle of the club with a mean look on her face.
This wild woman had a bunch of mechanical robot parts protruding out of her arms, shoulders, and neck.
The crazy part human, part robot turned his flame throwing attack on the android woman and sprayed his fire up and down her entire body. She walked right through the flame and knocked the blazing rifle from his hands. Picking him up by his throat, she then tossed him around like a ragdoll and slammed him down hard onto the dance floor.
The female droid then jumped on his stomach, sat on his chest, and ripped his head from his shoulders.
She looked about only briefly before grabbing her rope and climbing right back up to the top of the chamber.
Small white and orange rolling bots promptly appeared from several side doors to the club, and the mess was cleaned up in no time. The Slayer women watched in amazement. A few minutes later, the music came back on and things slowly returned back to normal as the dead were carted off out into the streets.
As Raegan and Chaya walked through the club, Raegan stopped and asked a couple nearby, "Hey, do you know who that was?"
The human woman turned and replied, "That was the club owner, Dazzle. Nobody fucks with her."
The male glanced at both Chaya and Raegan, nodding in agreement with what his partner just said. When he smiled at the ladies, they noticed his unusual bright purple eyes.
Mahira and Zaey now spotted a rather weird looking pair of twins at the bar. Both had black hair with ponytails and were partially covered in lizard-like skin. Mahira turned to Zaey. "Hey, check those dudes out."
The odd identical twins turned their heads about in unison and replied at exactly at the same time, "Why are you staring at us?"
The Slayers looked at each other and decided to move to a different spot.
Settling down in their new location, Mahira and Zaey had a familiar dwarf-like man deliver a tray of tall neon yellow drinks to them. He passed a glass up to the Australian woman, stating again, "Complements of the house. Please enjoy and have a good evening."
The liquid in the glasses smelled somewhat like lemonade with a strong aroma of liquor, perhaps rum. Mahira lifted one up and said, "Cheers!" before downing the entire draught. Zaey could only shake her head.
There was a note attached to the bottom of one of the cocktail glasses; it was a simple invitation to join the club owner upstairs, along with the directions of how to get there.
Meanwhile, Raegan and Chaya found the directions easy enough to follow as they made their way to an elevator where a very large black male bouncer stood on guard. He offered them entrance without question and showed them inside the elevator. They rode up several floors and arrived at a private bar where the woman who had come down on the rope was seated.
The wild and crazy pink-haired woman known as Dazzle motioned for them to come on over.
For the other two women, the trip up to the top floor would not be so easy. Before they even reached the elevator, two men of Middle Eastern heritage stepped before them wearing yellow and golden robes with turbans on their heads.
The taller of the two simply said, "Please dance with us."
Zaey politely replied, "No thank you, guys."
The sisters tried to pass the men, but they were not taking no for an answer. One of them made the mistake of grabbing Mahira on the shoulder and turning her about. "I really like that cat suit," he said. "I just want to peel it from your body."
Mahira smiled. "Peel this!" she replied before whipping her foot across the side of his mouth in a powerful roundhouse kick. The blow to his face sent the Middle Eastern man flying across the dance floor onto his back. The other man was clearly not impressed, as he threw himself at the gladiator and tried to punch her in the face. She was quick to defend his attack and even quicker to begin an ass whooping on him too.
The first guy, who was more than a little drunk, staggered back to his feet and came at the young Australian woman, stating, "That wasn't very nice of your catwoman friend, was it? How about you give me a kiss and make me forget all about the bad things your friend looks to be doing to mine?"
He was correct. Mahira was giving his buddy a really hard time, but Zaey needed to concentrate on dealing with this idiot.
Zaey's man leaned in for his smooch. "How's this for a kiss?" Zaey offered as she threw the point of her elbow directly into his nose. He staggered back as blood began pouring from his nostrils. Before any more trouble could find them, Mahira, who had just about finished with the other dude, pulled her friend away and the two women vanished from the men's sight in no time at all.
They finally got to the elevator and went to join Raegan and Chaya, who were already sitting in the private bar with the droid-like woman, Dazzle. The entire private room was well guarded with many clones standing about on watch.
Raegan said to Dazzle, "We're just here to have a good time, that's all. You have nothing to worry about and nothing to fear."
The heavily tattooed woman grinned. "I don't really fear; it's not one of my emotions. I know what you want," she replied.
Mahira was first to question this bold statement as she approached. "Oh, really? Then why don't y
ou tell us what that is?"
Dazzle smiled again. "You guys make bad liars. You're here for the golden ticket, are you not?"
Zaey wasn't impressed. "Doesn't everybody want a golden ticket?" she countered.
There was a decent amount of handsome, heavily armed clone men gathered about the private bar, some by a pool table, others by the exit door. Chaya counted seven in total. "Well, we see you have plenty of guards in here, so if you have a ticket or know where one might be, what can we offer you for it?"
Raegan added, "There's no need for bloodshed!"
The club manager scanned the group of women for a moment before raising her hands in agreement. "I'll tell you what," she said, pointing over to a nearby table, "let us play a little game. If you win, I'll give you the golden ticket."
The women quietly pondered such a weird offer. Dazzle said no more, she just lit a vapor cigarette and continued to stare at the four women with an odd look on her face.
Zaey could no longer hold back. "And what if we don't win?"
The android replied, "Well, ha ha, wouldn't that take the fun out of it if I told you? Let's just say that, if you lose, Miss Raegan James, you do exactly as I ask, and if you win, I will do as you ask and give you the golden ticket."
Dazzle's wires suddenly lit up in a bright display of pinkish red colors. She looked pleased at her words. "Go ahead and talk it out," she said.
Raegan was not so amused. "We don't need to talk it out. I will play your silly game."
The android got up and walked over to Raegan. Looking her square in the eyes, she said, "Okay, let us begin." She pointed to the dice table and added, "After you." As they made their way over to a long wooden game table with a maroon velvet inlay, Dazzle continued. "The rules are simple. There are three dice, and each is twenty-sided, two red ones and one black. You must roll the two red dice first, and then the black. Rolling the black and getting a number in between the two red ones, means you win. I will even let you go first."
Raegan grabbed the three dice and shook them about in her palm. She then took the two red ones and rolled them onto the table; one landed on an eight, the second was a fourteen. She would need to get a number in between them with the black one. She looked at the others who in turn looked at her. Mahira said, "Go on then…roll it!"
She blew a little bit on the black dice for luck and spun it out onto the table. The number came up eighteen. It was a number far from being in between the previous two, so it was now Dazzle's turn. The manager grabbed the two red dice and threw them on the table. She rolled a seven and a fourteen; very close to what Raegan had rolled.
She flipped the black twenty-sided dice forward and got a sixteen. No winner came about in the first round.
Raegan threw the red dice for a second time and got a three and an eighteen. "Excellent roll," boasted Mahira. The others all looked at her to be quiet in this tense moment. Raegan squeezed the dice and rolled it down. It came up a twenty. All the ladies moaned in unison. Dazzle took up the dice again and stuck her tongue out at them before rolling the red ones out.
She got a twelve and a nineteen. Next, she flipped the black out, and it came up fifteen. The club manager had won the game.
The Slayers were now all curious as to what this odd half-robot woman would ask of them.
"So what is it you want?" asked Raegan.
The android looked at all the women and replied, "It's not what I want…it's what the boss wants. And I believe she is coming in down below right now. Come with me and I will introduce you to the notorious Spicy Lane!"
She then took the girls out through a side door and around the corner to a balcony where the entire dance floor below could be seen. Walking in the club right at that moment, was a light green-haired beautiful woman surrounded by an entourage of bodyguards.
She was very tall, slim, and covered with black tribal tattoos. As she looked up, her nose ring also became visible. Her dark-haired boys stopped in the center of the dance floor, and the woman motioned to the ladies to come on down to join her.
The android grinned a wicked smile. "She's a Y-Wood employee, but only when she wants to be. Spicy is her name and business is her game. She's also fucking deadly with her guns; best shot on the West Coast!"
Before the women could come to a decision about venturing off to meet this Spicy woman, the choice was made for them. A hoard of Corporation soldiers, black Ruthys with laser rifles, suddenly burst right through the downstairs front doors.
Spicy's guards all turned at them, and each side pointed their weapons at the other. Signaling for the music to be silenced, she yelled out, "What is the meaning of this?"
A sleek silver and blue super robot then came in behind the black armored Ruthys. He sternly announced, "Everyone, put down your weapons, this is an official, fully authorized Y-Wood investigation."
With Spicy and her men still holding their guns up, a standoff ensued on the dance floor.
Raegan then motioned to the girls that they needed to somehow get out of the place before any of these Corp people saw them. The women turned in the opposite direction to find an exit stairway out the back. But the droid woman stepped before them with several clone men at her side. "Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.
Raegan looked directly at her and said, "Get out of our way!" But the android was not moving.
Raegan flew at Dazzle and the two immediately started throwing punches and kicks at one another while deflecting, blocking, and moving about in a blur of tangled limbs. Dazzle punched Raegan hard in the stomach, causing the Mystical Slayer leader to momentarily buckle over. The android seized the opportunity to spin around and bring her leg high in the air before dropping her heel down on Raegan's skull. Raegan ducked out of the way at the last second and came around with her own spinning back fist, landing it hard into the android's temple.
Shouts from below instructed Dazzle to come down with her guards. As Raegan and Dazzle continued their brawl, the other clones and Slayers prepared for battle.
Dazzle faked right and came in with a solid long left hook, driving Raegan back. Raegan centered herself and slipped right to land a fast and powerful body shot on the android. Both women backed up some, but only for a second before diving back in with more attacks. The android jumped up and spun another kick into Raegan's head. Raegan's face was grazed, but she instantly countered with a tornado kick that just missed Dazzle's chin as she faded back. Both women grinned at one another.
The android smiled wickedly at Raegan and said, "You're pretty good, but there will be another time for this." Without another word, she ran and leaped over the balcony in one swift motion to reach her boss down below. As the clone men ran downstairs following Dazzle's departure, the Slayer ladies sprinted for the rear exit stairway.
No golden ticket was going to be in their hands tonight.
Out the rear of the building, the four sisters arrived in the back alley and immediately spotted a Y-Wood drone shining a beam of purple light over the area. It was clearly searching for anyone sneaking out.
However, inside the drone, a human pilot was rather oddly rocking out to some old-school rock song. The women looked up and watched the man happily drumming away and singing, "She's got the looks that kill, girl, she's got the looks that kill…she's got the sexy looks that kill." He spotted the group of girls below and said, "WOW!"
The women slowed down their pace so as to not look too suspicious. Helped by the purplish light shining down on them and the night's fog closing in all about them, it was a fitting exit indeed! The pilot had completely forgotten about the job he was supposed to be doing.
Meanwhile, on the dance floor, the Corporation soldiers and their leader appeared to be coming to equal terms with the owner. It was then a young boy with brown curly hair walked inside.
He stood behind Galax, intently listening to such an agreement. With much tension still in the air, the bot looked to the child and said, "We can go now, Trevor. C
ome with me."
As the soldiers left the club and marched back to their airships, Trevor and Galax walked in the rear more slowly. They chatted and discussed a few things about the club, but then they noticed a man stumbling toward them from a side road.
The man appeared to be intoxicated, so Galax stood in front of the boy. The drunk mumbled something, but neither of them could make out his words. Galax then explained to Trevor, "This here, is trash. These types of people are a waste of oxygen in this land. Here, take my pistol and release this retched soul from our Earth, boy."
Trevor took the gun yet hesitated as he contemplated the situation. He looked up to Galax and said, "I don't think I can shoot him."
Galax, with his voice much louder, now demanded, "TAKE THE GUN and shoot this no good, waste of space drunk. Put him out of his misery."
Again, Trevor hesitated.
Galax took the boy's hand and lifted it to eye level. Trevor looked away as Galax pulled the trigger and shot the brains out of the human.
***
Kelsey took a gamble today. She had never gotten the coveted rebellion USA flag she so desired, so spray paint would have to suffice. Late this very night, dressed in dark clothing and her favorite hoodie, she slipped into the main street near the big Empire State Building. She had but a New York minute to execute her plan.
There was a Corporation office across the street from the skyscraper home office of Y-Wood, and it was there she stopped. Even though the place was crawling with robotic guards, she quickly grabbed her paint and went to work drawing a red square, with red, white, and blue stars and stripes across the big window before her. Just as she finished, voices called out at her, "Hey, you, what are you doing? Get away from that building. Stop right there."
Kelsey pulled her hood up to cover her face and made a run for it.
A cluster of bots chased after her as she darted down a street, then an alleyway, then up a set of fire escape stairs. She hid on a high up platform overlooking the road. The robots went about looking for her but had no success in finding the perched girl.
HOPE BRINGERS (Strong superhero women) (Mystical Slayers Book 2) Page 11
