CHAPTER 2

Jack had managed to get them back onto solid ground. They were now wandering the streets, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Even though the evening had turned quite dark, the task was not easy; a barefoot woman walking down the street accompanied by a large man in his underwear carrying a sword was the sort of thing people tended to notice.

To make matters worse, Donald's earlier prediction had been correct and it was now raining heavily. Neither one had any sort of protection from the water nor the cold. Rebecca in particular was not holding up well. Her skin had already turned a pale bluish shade. Certain that she would freeze to death if she didn't find a distraction, she spoke up.

"I don't know how those robots managed to find you. Nobody knew you were in my apartment."

Rebecca waited anxiously for his response. Jack took a long time to reply.

"Perhaps they saw us enter," he finally said. "It does not matter."

It appeared that was all she would get from him. Not content to stop at that she asked: "Where are we going to stay tonight?"

Jack stopped walking. The prospect of spending more time with this crazed woman did not appeal to him. On the other hand, he couldn't bring himself to put her in danger just because he didn't particularly like her.

Her apartment was assuredly unsafe, for it was very likely the bounty hunters were still waiting there. Neither of them had any money, so renting a room was out of the question. And just by looking at her, he could see that she wouldn't last long on the streets. She was already half-frozen, and spending the night with him in a flooded storm drain would not help that.

An idea finally came to him. "Where is your husband?" he asked. Certainly her husband would do much better to take care of her. And once unburdened by her, Jack could return to the storm drain until he obtained his new gi in the morning.

"Donald?" she asked, dazed. She was so cold that it was becoming difficult for her not to pass out.

"Where is he?" repeated Jack.

"He's probably still at work," she said, shivering violently.

"Tell me how to get there."

Rebecca paused, her teeth chattering audibly. "W-w-where are we?" she asked.

Jack frowned. He was not at all familiar with the city, and didn't know precisely where they were. "Um... well... perhaps if we walk around some, you will recognize our location."

So began the long journey through the city's avenues and boulevards. Once in a while Jack would pause and ask Rebecca if she recognized where they were. He never seemed to get much of an answer out of her, and was beginning to question whether there was any point to this when finally she spoke up:

"It's close, it's close. The building is just up this street."

Jack smiled and began to walk at a more lively pace. The freezing rain was beginning to subside, and Rebecca would be out of his life momentarily. The building to which Rebecca directed him contrasted sharply with the city's usual architectural mode. In fact, the structure had been built before Aku had conquered the world, managing to survive the attacks, avoid being torn down, and escape remodeling. Despite the layers of grime and the chipping façade, it remained a fine example of early baroque architecture. Jack's smile faded. Perhaps he was more familiar with the city than he had thought. But now was not an appropriate time to reflect on Paris as he had known it. He pushed the thought from his mind.

The pair entered the lobby and were happy to find that the place was well heated. Rebecca requested a few moments to warm herself before continuing, which Jack granted. They sat down together on a rococo-style bench meant to coordinate with the building's outside decor. Any art historian worth his B.S. degree would have flipped.

Soon the color returned to Rebecca's face and her shivers began to wane.

"So," she said quietly, staring at the floor-tiles. "I suppose this is goodbye."

"Yes."

She turned toward the Samurai. "Do you know how to get to Djinny's on your own?"

"I believe so."

Rebecca smiled. "You know, I'm really glad that I met you, even if things came out kind of crazy. I'm something of a thrill-seeker. I do things that are dangerous all the time. Did you know I'm a yellow-belt in Ninjitsu? It's true. My sensei said that I'm a very fast learner and that I have a lot of potential and oh God please let me come with you!" By the time she finished she was groveling on the floor before him.

Jack was growing impatient. "Madam, I am afraid your ideas about my lifestyle are far more complimentary than the reality of it. You would not enjoy living as I do."

"Sure I would! I'd gladly give up a few household conveniences to travel the world, selflessly trying to rescue it from Aku's tyranny, and with the one I love by my side. Oh, Jack! Let's do it!"

"No."

"Why not?"

He stood up. Rebecca remained on the floor in front of him. "Go upstairs to your husband," he said icily. "I am sure that he will be very worried once he sees you."

Rebecca rose. "Come on! I'm feeling fine now! I was just in a little funk there. Let me just stay with you till morning."

The Samurai turned around to face the door and slowly walked back out to the street, leaving Rebecca behind.

He had walked perhaps a block and a half before he spotted the Cadillac. The shiny black metal almost blended in with the rain-soaked pavement. At least there were some advantages to being in a city. In a dark forest he might not have noticed a vehicle which camouflaged so neatly with the surroundings. Trying not to let on that he had spotted them he examined the car more closely. As he suspected, the figures he viewed through the rain-spattered glass windows matched the robots who had attacked Rebecca's apartment. But only two of them seemed to be in the car. There was no sign of the third one.

Jack placed one hand on his sword as he quickened his step. The chances that he could avoid a fight were slim, but he still hoped for the best.

As he passed an alleyway, the elusive third robot jumped out at him, the NICO sticker glaring brightly in the lamplight. Expecting this, Jack drew his sword quickly. A brief flash, the sound of metal against metal, and suddenly Nico's right arm was gone. Though the robots faces were not designed to exhibit emotion, it became very clear that he was not happy.

Apparently François and Lautrec felt the same. The Cadillac's engine burst to life and instantly it was at Jack's side. The Samurai was blocked in. Unless he wanted to fight three angry gun-toting robot bounty hunters on a wet, slippery sidewalk, he had to get out of there fast. His eyes swam over his surroundings, looking for an escape. There was only one direction to go: up.

Having some months prior mastered the art of "Jumping Good," Jack took the opportunity to employ the skill. He leapt upward, landing nimbly on a fourth story balcony. He peeked back over the edge and suddenly wondered how he had managed to forget that cars could fly. He could see the robot's vehicle rising from the ground, coming toward him menacingly.

He abruptly spun around and found his best route of escape blocked by a sliding glass door. Not caring about the consequences of property damage in his moment of desperation, Jack hit the glass with his sword, puncturing it. He followed this with a swift kick, and thus he was granted access to the building's interior.

The two robots cared even less about property damage and floored the gas, plowing the vehicle through the remaining glass door and following the Samurai right into the building. Jagged, knife-like shards of metal and glass sprayed over Jack, inflicting upon him several (thankfully) minor injuries. Things deteriorated rapidly as Lautrec leaned out the passenger-side window, his right arm aimed at the Samurai. He began to fire.

Although the room was large and vacant, there wasn't nearly enough room for Jack to outmaneuver the car and the spray of bullets for any length of time. He had to make a quick move for the door. He seemed to be in some kind of hotel or apartment, and knowing the typical layout of these places, exiting would most probably leave him in a hallway. Not the best situation, certainly, but it did present its opportunities.

Jack wove several times around the room, afraid to open the door since it would require him to pause. Even the instant it took to turn the knob might be long enough for the robot to make a hit. After circling for the third time, the walls were starting to look like swiss cheese. Luckily, so did the door, and in such a vitiated state it was easy for him to knock it down and escape. He started down the hall as quickly as he could. Behind him he heard an explosive noise of shattering glass, crunching metal, crumbling plaster and splintering wood. He turned to find that the robots had actually followed him into the hallway, car and all, decimating a wall in the process. Magellenic clouds of dust wafted through the air. The bulky machine just barely fit in the narrow passage, but Jack nevertheless found it to be plowing quickly toward him. He had no time to lose; pushing himself as hard as he could, he hurried to the stairwell.

Lautrec continued to fire and François continued to drive, the car's jet engines singeing the walls. In one swift motion Jack threw open the door to the stairs. He flinched when he felt a sudden sharp pain in his right shoulder. He was already descending the staircase when he realized what had happened. He was in pain, but knew that hesitation of any sort would do nothing more than increase his chances of taking another bullet.

Back in the hallway, the second robot leapt out of the passenger seat; the stairway was too narrow for the car. The chase would have to continue on foot.

François, who did not feel it was worth the trouble to fuss with the wires that connected him to the Cadillac's dashboard for hands-free driving, leaned back into the seat. He was frustrated: the girl who had tipped them off that afternoon had promised that the Samurai had no idea they were coming and that it would be an easy job. Women always seemed to underestimate the difficulty of any task.

Although the Samurai was curious as to how he had been found with Rebecca, he had more pressing matters to concern himself with. Plus, as he had said earlier, it didn't really matter; the robots would continue to hunt him whether or not he knew.

The staircase went down in a spiral. Jack sprinted across the steps four at a time. He clenched his teeth as the pain in his shoulder intensified. Every time he swung his arm he could feel the bullet still caught beneath his flesh. He could hear the squealing of ungreased mechanics a few coils above him: one of the robots was following him. Then another sound, a loud eruption echoed through the chamber. He was being shot at again.

The exit was in sight. The Samurai leaned forward, trying to increase his speed. He reached the door, grabbing the handle and flinging it open with his good arm. He was surprised to find Nico staring back at him.

"Salut," the robot said, a large pistol clasped in his left hand. Sparks still flickered from the hole where his other arm had been.

Jack could hear Lautrec behind him, getting closer. He had begun to reach for his sword but realized it would be useless. He dropped both arms to his sides.

"I will come quietly," he bluffed.

Lautrec approached. "Héééééé! We have got him!"

"Ouais," responded Nico, "Mais maintenant nous devons transporter lui à l'auto."

Each robot grabbed one of Jack's arms, holding him while they waited for François to bring the car back down to the street. Since backing a car out of a narrow hallway and decimated hotel room was not likely to be an easy task, they expected that it might take a while. What they didn't expect was for Jack to make his move right then.

The Samurai planted his feet on the ground and slammed his arms forward. Although the bounty hunters were large and heavy, he managed to send them toppling to the pavement. Not wanting to waste another moment, he took off into a run.

Racing up the street, he could hear the robots beginning to fire at him. He tried to run faster. One lucky bullet punctured his right leg and he stumbled. He did not hit the concrete, but the moments worth of effort it took to stay standing was just enough time for a second bullet to come crashing through his torso. His face contorted in agony, but he made no sound.

Aware that any further delay would only make matters worse, he forced himself to resume his escape. The injuries had thrown his coordination out of whack, and he scrambled chaotically from the francophones' view.

François arrived on the street with the now heavily dented black Cadillac. Nico and Lautrec jumped in.

"He is getting away!" cried Lautrec.

François sent the car whizzing through the air while Lautrec continued to whine.

"We have already lost sight of him."

"Crainte pas," said Nico. "Il a été tiré trois fois. Il ne deviendra pas très lointain."

The other two nodded in agreement. "Fort bien," said François, "Keep looking out for him."

Jack had managed to run six city blocks, and every step had been torture. The bullet was still buried inside of his calf, and it seemed as if it were shredding away at his muscle with every movement. It was getting to be more than he could bear. To make matters worse, the blood loss was starting to get to him. Already he felt very tired and weak.

The only good fortune he could claim was that it appeared the robots had lost track of him. He hadn't seen any sign of them since he had acquired his injuries. He decided it would be alright if he stopped running, just long enough to catch his breath. He moaned slightly as he leaned himself against a wall. Instantly he felt the urge to take it a step further and lie down.

No. He knew better. It would not do at all to pass out on the sidewalk. He wished that he had his gi, even if only to destroy it- he needed something to make bandages with.

As he was standing there, blood began trickling from his shoulder and down his arm, then dripping from his fingers into a crimson puddle on the concrete. Something similar was happening with his leg. His fundoshi was soaking up most of the blood that oozed from his side.

The Samurai suddenly realized that he would probably bleed to death unless he could find a doctor. Despite being disoriented and weak, he forced himself to continue down the street. Although there were many other people out and about, not one offered to help the plainly injured man. His vision was greying, and unless he chanced upon medical assistance very soon, there wouldn't be much hope for him.

A sudden, particularly sharp pain in his body sent him toppling to the dampened concrete. He wasn't sure what he had done, but he could feel the wound in his side begin to gush.

So this was it. The Famous Samurai Jack was going to die half naked on the street, killed by francophone robots. He knew it was written that the way of the Samurai is in dying, but he had somehow expected a more dignified ending than this.

He moaned quietly and closed his eyes, certain that he was lost.

Just then a cold, obviously metal hand grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over. His eyes fluttered open. Though everything was dark and blurry, he could tell that he was looking at the three bounty hunters.

"Tiens," said Nico, "Voila le Samurai. Tout comme j'ai dit."

"Ouais," answered François, "Et il n'était pas presque aussi difficile que j'avais craint. Très facile deux googolplex, vraiment."

"Se dépêchons vers le haut et l'obtenir à monseigneur Aku, avant qu'il meure sur nous."

Jack stirred at the only word he recognized: Aku.

Desperation triggered a sudden burst of strength within him and miraculously he was able to pull away from the robots and get to his feet. He trembled violently, his pain intense as he tried to affect a threatening posture.

"I will not allow myself to be delivered to Aku, as long as I am living." He drew his sword and tried to ignore the gush of blood that poured from his shoulder as a result of the gesture. "I can still fight you if I must," he added, slowly.

The bounty hunters paused for a moment, trying to decide how to respond. They finally decided upon laughter.

"Ah, mercy, mercy!" cried Lautrec, "You are barely able to stand, let alone fight."

Jack responded by slicing the obnoxious robot in half lengthwise. The action drained him. The other two grew irate. They drew their guns.

Jack fully expected this to be his last moment; there was nowhere to escape, and the francophones wouldn't miss their target from such a short distance. But the gunfire never came, and the cause of its prevention occurred so quickly and unexpectedly that his inert brain didn't register it immediately. A dinky grey Citroën 2CV had suddenly diverted from traffic and come plummeting from the sky like a kamikaze, plowing down the two robots before crashing into a brick wall.

Jack was so dazed that he didn't even react when Rebecca, bloodied and limping, emerged from the badly damaged car, brushing shattered glass from her dress.

"Jack! Are you okay? Jack?"

She could see that he was dripping blood ferociously, and his balance seemed quite a bit off. Hurriedly, she got out of her car to help the injured warrior.

"Jack, come on! Don't pass out. Say something."

He moaned as she began dragging him into the car, nearly dislocating his shoulder as she tried to pull him. "I... I think I'm dying..." he responded, not even realizing what he said.

"Great," she said, pushing his limp body into the passenger seat. "Well, try not to die yet. I'm going to try and get you to a doctor."

She crawled over him, into the driver's seat. Although the car was badly damaged, it was still capable of running. Rebecca slammed down the pedals and fumbled with the controls until the vehicle was sent speeding away into the night. She had to think quickly: Samurai Jack was badly injured, and as a wanted fugitive, she couldn't take him to a hospital. What other alternatives were there?

"Gabriel," she said aloud, swerving the car in the direction of the aforesaid's home.

Surely Gabriel would have some idea of what to do. She could take Jack there and everything would be okay. Then maybe, she thought, just maybe, when Jack was recovered, he would be so grateful to her for saving his life that he would want to have sex with her.