by E R Landron
“What’s on the pouch?”, Oliver asks.
“I want to say blood… but I will give you revitalizing juice drink!”, Hannah says.
“You know joking around that much will get us all killed.”, Oliver snaps.
“Just ignore her.”, I say.
Ezequiel enters the room.
“We got to hurry! It is starting!”, he yells.
Hannah nods, and Oliver is attentive. Ezequiel grabs Kokolite from us and at a quick pace starts to move towards the elevator through the lab and experimental rooms. Ezequiel moves at a quick pace that made us speed walk and jog to keep up. We get to the elevator and stop at a ding. Doors open. In a languid pace, a four ninja crew come out with a female. She has glasses and a tight bun. Fancy cloth. The Asian unmasked one’s face is all smiling looking at us. The look on Hannah’s eyes, the fear is evident.
“Those are the ninjas that took out my clan…”, she says.
Ezequiel changes his expression to a one of concern and gives Hannah a tap.
“I will take care of them habibi.”, he says.
Ezequiel quickly gives Kokolite to Hannah and me. We put him softly to the floor. Ezequiel got on an attentive stance waiting. I quickly picked up my gun and aim, Hannah leaves her gun in the floor and got on a fighting stance too. They are not carrying any guns, so definitely not human. This must be the men from church. Kokolite was alone fighting all of them, maybe this time is different. They have five we have four and a ... we just have four, Kokolite's out. Just two of us human. And we got Ezequiel.
“So you are the Keisatsu huh?”, asks the Asian man.
“Do you mind speaking English?”, snaps Hannah.
He forces a smile and relaxes quickly as he passes his tongue through his lips and scratches his nose.
“Last time I… we spoke neko... you were doing errands for me... I think you want us to visit your family again.”
Hannah clinches her fist and presses her lips. This man emits complete fear on her, and she was trying not to appear that way, plus the fact that if she dies, she can't save her family. Her knees tremble. She hesitates. The Asian man’s smile grew wider. Ezequiel steps in front of Hannah to block her view of the Asian.
“I did it, didn't I? But enough of you, I do not know this half-naked tall man.”, he says.
He watches Ezequiel from head to toe as he bites his lips and caresses his thumb with his index and middle finger in both hands.
“You are in our way. Let's us pass, and you will be spared.”, Ezequiel says.
The Asian threw a sarcastic laugh, patting the bushy eyebrow ninja as he continues. He passes a finger through his eyes as if he has tears in them. "Oh that was funny!" he says as he makes a wave with his hand. In a blink of an eye, two ninjas jump slashing their swords directly at Ezequiel, but he stops them with his bracelets. The two ninjas force their sword with all their strength. He pushes them and with fast speed and precision, takes out the dagger on his calf and slashes the throat of one of the ninjas and changes directions as he penetrates the other upwards through his chin. Also, stabs them again. Their ninja suits became instantly full of ash, and their cloth and weapons fell on the floor. That was too fast! I barely got a look at what happened. The ninjas are falling to the floor, and their bodies are decomposing in front of my eyes, and their clothing is looking lose. Ash? Is that where all the ash we saw came from? I swallow hard, and beads of sweat pour from my forehead. I already saw some vampires fight, but at this speed is inhumanly possible to keep up. I whisper to Oliver: "You remember weird? This is what I was talking about." Oliver nod. The Asian grabs his whole mouth and looks serious for a second, but quickly it changes to a smile. He lowers his stance and clenches his fist on a forward and backward motion as if he was celebrating his favorite team winning a championship.
“I like it! I like it! Finally, we have among ourselves a challenge!”, he says.
We look at ourselves and back at him. He’s smiling like a crazy person. With his fist still going back and forth.
“I say this. Two against two. We have hot cheeks here that wants to prove to Ripa something. And I'm hungry for some dark meat. Humans, you shush away. Oh, I can feel this is going to be a good one! Please don’t disappoint me.”
Ezequiel looks at Hannah. She is serious, but she nods to him. Hannah looks at me and nods as well. I wave to Oliver to help me to move Kokolite farther. We move him, and I quickly aim my gun at them. They don’t flinch.
Ezequiel grabs the dagger holding the knife upwards. He already has his bracelets that he could block attacks. Hannah holds her left hand upwards with the glove with the lever exposed. The woman fancy woman takes her jacket off. On her waist, she has a whip that she unrolls snapping it twice. A metal sound is heard revealing on the tip of the whip a sharp knife. The Asian gives his sword to the bushy-eyebrowed ninja. He takes off his upper ninja gear exposing a very cut and lean body with lots of scars all over it. He takes his sword back and raises it one hand and places his other hand on one of the sides and whispered something to his sword with his eyes closed. The Asian flexes his muscles and stretches a bit. He grabs his sword and points it to Ezequiel as he takes a short sword from his back and lets the blade rest on his left forearm.
“I am Laim by the way. I want you to know who will kill you all. I hope this sword gets a little bit of action. I haven't been good to it. An ancient ninjato that sits in my saya for way too long. If not, I could use it for the humans slowly.”, Laim says.
“'ana sawf takhudh alsyf w shawf ealah min khilal alhimar alkhabasi bik”, Ezequiel says.
Laim smiles again sticking his tongue out between his teeth. He mocks Ezequiel by opening his mouth. They are testing each other, will one or the other flinch? I hope this goes well. I need to wake up Kokolite somehow. Oliver and I will not be of much help if the other ninja decides to join in. Laim smiles and Ezequiel keeps staring at him. On the other side, Hannah and the fancy woman were reading each other. Circling eyeing how each other steps. They change directions to continue to read their opponent.
“How about...”
Laim did not finish his sentence, when he lunges at Ezequiel even faster than the previous ninjas, making Hannah's hair move and slams his sword unto Ezequiel's bracelet. It was so fast and hard that the hit of those objects hurt my ears. Ezequiel slid a few feet back upon contact and continued defending from the fast and continuous attacks Laim brings to him. The sword was making swoosh sounds continuous as it flew in stab and slash motions. Sometimes it hit again the bracelets, sometimes his dagger.
The woman smirks at Hannah. She took off her high heels presented the whip. She runs towards Hannah fast, but not as fast as Laim did seconds before. She threw her whip and Hannah dodge it while she also jumped with a kick that Hannah again dodge. At close range, Hannah tries to punch her and scratch her, but she was moving a little bit faster than Hannah dodging left and right and using her whip to protect herself.
I turn to Kokolite to try to wake him up. Oliver pats me.
“What are you doing? We are going to die with those freaks.”, he says.
“I'm not going to die tonight Oliver. Help me wake him.”
“What are you doing? Why don't we shoot them?”
“Can't. Won't hurt them much. Unless you got more machine guns and grenades with you.”
“What? What are you talking about? Mieke, please let's go. Come with me.”
“You see that? They are super-fast, super strong. Super... super. And there's someone as powerful as them who could become even more powerful. They know us, Oliver. They know where we live, where we work. And if you are here and leave. They will find you and hunt you.”
“This is crazy Mieke. Plain and simply crazy.”
“If you want to live. Help me get this one up. I bet if we interfere with the fights, the other ninja will drop in as well.”
Oliver took Kokolite's coat off to put it on his neck and between us both tried to sha
ke K.
EZEQUIEL
Laim slashes his sword quickly and with a huge smile. "Oh yessss!", he screams as he slashes one of the room's door and it falls to the middle down. The door collapses, the windows brake some items stood there by a second and faster let gravity take place. I’m barely defending, not letting me much time to strike and gain a little bit of control on the fight. Why this man enjoys attacking? Sadist. Laim jumps and strikes my bracelets again but twisted by the side and stabs me on the stomach and let’s go his small sword as I punch him. I got to be careful. He is very fast. A few slashes don’t hurt that much, but a lot will not let me hold the pain that much. Laim jumps backward with another kick and raises both arms and smiles that lasted no time as it changes quickly when he looks at me who is barely hurt. I run, punch him in the face and quickly grab him by the back of the neck and threw him to one of the rooms with so much speed and strength that Laim's body brakes almost all the things from rooms. Glass shattered, wires sparking, cabinets dents. He continues on to another room on the other side that held him from a continuous flight. The room looks like it exploded from the inside making everything fall on him. I took out the small sword and threw it on the floor, and my wound heals. Laim rose from the appliances that were on top of him, full of dust and with blood in his lips, bruises, and cuts on his body. He was healing as well, but not as fast as me. "Yessss! This is what I wanted!", Laim screams. He looks like a crazy person who just used drugs and went even crazier. Laim kept his eyes wide open nodding continuously as he passed his tongue through his lips and for the first time taking a few deep breaths. I do not flinch, just continue to await the next move. Laim lunges again at with haste and continues his attacks while I defend all the blows coming.
HANNAH
The whip flows very quickly through the air almost hitting me. I run, and this bitch follows. I do a backflip while going through a wall but in midair, she catches me with her whip and slams me to the floor. I feel the pain on my jaw first. I let a huge grunt.
“Bow down kitty cat!”, she says.
I try to remove the whip quickly from my waist, but she pulls it and lands a kick in my chest. The air on my lungs left. My vision blurs. "Hannah!": Is heard from the back. I recognized Mieke’s voice. The other ninja was pointing no with his finger as Mieke was rising from helping Kokolite. For a split second, I remembered Tiger and my family and what I’ve become. The pain from my abusive stepfather, the Cat Alley family I had for three almost four years before turning completely into the clan. I am stronger than this. I feel a quick tug again from my waist and quickly turn into a cat. The whip falls from my waist, and I begin to climb out my clothing. It’s chilly, but my adrenaline is high. I get out quickly and sprint. I grip her leg with my claws. A scream fills the whole floor even the explosion type sounds and ruckus Laim and Ezequiel are making. Blood comes out from her leg as my tiny claws scratch deep her skin. I let go of the leg as she tries to hit me. I change to human and punched her, she responds with her whip, and I turn again an easily dodge the attack. I jump on the wall and change back kicking her sending her flying a few feet.
MIEKE
Oliver stares at me astonished. I raise my hand.
“You know she is changing into a cat?”, He yells.
“Yes.”
“You know she is fighting naked?”
“You did not say anything when the Asian took off his upper gear.”
“Erghh... What? Forget it… I guess I'll help you wake Koko... him.”
HANNAH
She is frustrated and screams. Her eyes drive away fast. What caught her attention? The machine gun I left! She dives to the machine gun. My heart stops at the sight of the barrel aiming. I jump back as a dozen of bullets fills the distance between us both. I roll to another wall were bullets continued knocking at it. After a few seconds, a click from the gun announces that she’s empty. As I take a deep breath, I notice that I did get hit. I didn't feel them. I continue panting. Now the pain catches up. I’m healing but at a very slow pace. She grabs her whip again and slams it to the floor. She’s trying to intimidate me. I feel some of the bullets still inside. I put my back to a column. I look to one side, and the other ninja blocks the elevator. I pan. My cloth and glove on the floor and to the other side through many rooms smoke, and almost shadowy figures fight at a very fast speed going from side to side. I swallow deep and take longer breathes as I grab my stomach and thigh that are bloody. I squint at the pain. Think, think, think!
EZEQUIEL
Laim continues slashing, only a couple of cuts he manages to do from his blade sometimes sliding through my bracelet. He changes his stance. Why? He slashes in a more open position. I need to hurt him too. He twists again and slashes the air missing completely and holds the sword in mid position for a second, I react and throw a punch again. Laim quickly puts one foot back and his sword to the ground awaiting impact. As I hit him, Laim twists his feet and with the help of his sword makes him land at the side of me. No! He takes out his sword and starts stabbing me with so much speed. Blood begins to spill, and the healing is starting to slow as thousands of needles pierce my flesh. I use all my force to jump back a little and let a few blows miss. I’m dizzy. Blood all over my hand and stomach. Laim bites his lips as he sees his me weak. We stare at each other. Silence for the first time. Blood drops and our breathing is the only thing heard. I grip harder my dagger trying to manage the pain.
“This has been a good challenge. But it has to end. I’m a busy man, and I got things to do.”, says Laim.
I drop my dagger which makes Laim's face change to disappointment. I fall to one knee.
“Nooooo! You should die, fighting! Get up! Get up now!”, says Laim waving his hands.
I struggle to get up. I stand. Nod. I open my hands to accept my faith.
“It’s disappointing. I will miss you... not really.”, Laim says.
“I’ve should be disappointed in you. You are letting your race fall.”, I say.
“Damare! Watashi wa anata o watashi no meinu ni shimasu!”
“What did you say?”
“I… will… make you… my bitch!”
Laim lunges an attack again. I block a slash attack but let a stab to go through my chest. This time the blade feels like it is going slower. My flesh, muscles ache. As the blade penetrates, time slows down and feel how little by little a new pain point activates as the blade keeps driving through my skin. I grab both of Laim's hands and pull him closer to a headbutt. Laim almost blacks out to the hit, which lets time to pull the sword out of him and slash Laim before he falls to the ground. The sword is all bloody from the previous blows dripping on the floor. Laim looks like he is still putting his hands to cover his head from the headbutt until his fingers come off and his head is separating from his neck, and quickly his body starts turning to ash slowly. His whole body blows away as if the wind was hitting a dandelion. Little by little the entire floor is full of ash. I fell backward and take deep breathes one behind the other. I am covered in blood, sweat, and ash but still manage a smile brakes in my face. It worked. I made you my bitch sharmuta.
MIEKE
The ninja’s eyes widened. He clenches his fist. Did something happen? Did Laim win? The ninja looks at the woman running to Hannah. She throws her whip that slams to the side were Hannah is hiding. The whip continues to hit sides of the wall, and the sounds each hit get closer. Hannah takes her hand out, the whip hit her. She squints. She throws her other hand out, but she managed to be quick as another whip came flying but missed. Hannah ducks and rolls to where her clothing is. She turns to a cat grabs the glove with her mouth and jumps towards the woman who tries to receive Hannah with her whip yet she fails. Hannah twists her body jumps over a wall, turns back into human form and putting the glove in her hand, pulls the lever and wraps the commando saw on the woman’s neck. The timing is perfect as the woman kept relying on her whip to do the attack. Hannah manages to time when she was about to attack. The w
hip falls quickly from the woman’s hand as she immediately grabs with both hands the commando saw. She tries in desperation to move and not to get asphyxiated with it. Little to her knowledge that what she is trying to pull out is cutting her skin. The woman tries to shake off Hannah who has a knee in her back, but all it did is to let the weight of her fall down making her fall to her knees. Hannah is pulling the lever and the glove hard. The woman’s face turns blue. Hannah screams as the commando saw cuts through completely. The woman’s fingers fall, and her head rolls over as her body. She drops like a rag doll to the floor. Hannah is breathing heavy, covered in blood and still with the lever in her hand she let it go as the commando saw retracts to the glove automatically. The woman’s body turns to ash as well.
A ding from the elevator made Hannah and Oliver jump. The doors were already closing, and the bushy eyebrow ninja is nowhere in sight. Hannah aches and grabs her clothing still trembling from pain and tries to put it back on. When she finished, she falls to the floor. Panting, breathing heavily with sweat all over her face.
“Don't mind me, just give me a second.”, she says.
Ezequiel came walking with his wounds healing slowly.
“One moment and we go.”, he says.
Kokolite starts to mumble.
“Is that K waking up?”, asks Hannah.
“I guess so. More or less.”, I say.
“Tell him, that we couldn't do this without him.”, says Hannah smiling.
Hannah keeps panting. Oliver looks confused. He catches my eyes, and with a blank stare, I keep trying to wake Kokolite. I open a pouch and start to pour some blood on his mouth.
RIPA Night - Ripa’s Office, 3:20 AM
A ninja enters the office where he sees me kneeled with fumes coming out. Some mini spikes are returning to my body and some men dead close to by. He stomps the floor in rhythm. Stomp… stomp, stomp …stomp, stomp… stomp. Drake comes out of the wall. Now my smile fades away quickly. I want to kill him. I can’t move.
