East Industrial Parkway, Industrial Area, Metro City
Kara sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She had been tossed about like a rag doll into the fence when her pursuers caught up. Her eyes squeezed shut for a couple of moments, refusing to look at the five men who formed a rough semi-circle around her on the widened shoulder of the road.
Kara wished that this was all just a terrible dream, one which she'd wake up from, but knew otherwise. It was more likely that she'd die alone on an empty stretch of road. Kara never imagined that her circumstances could have gone so horribly wrong since leaving work.
Her wishful thinking was interrupted by Scar. He stepped closer to her. She blinked back more tears as he coldly faced her but continued to shake and sob. Scar was only a couple of feet from her now. He spoke to her in a snarling tone.
"Ya know, if ya'd just given us something, I probably woulda let ya go. But then you went full stupid and hit me with this."
He held up the tire iron which Kara had accidentally hit him with. She whimpered an apology, but Scar waved his arm in a chopping motion to cut her off before continuing.
"So, this is what'll happen now, sweetie. My buddies and I are gonna have some fun with ya. When we're finished, I'm gonna beat ya to death with this!"
Kara sank back down on the ground, the tears leaving mascara trails down her cheeks as she kept sniffling to keep her nose from running. She began to hyperventilate and pleaded in vain for mercy.
The rumbling of a motor up the road caught Kara's attention and she wondered if salvation was at hand. The gang also became aware of the approaching vehicle as several cocked their heads. However, they continued to focus on Kara until the motorbike roared into view. It stopped on the other side of the road just short of the group. They all turned to face a lone woman as she turned off the engine, dismounted and quietly studied them for several moments. Scar and the others glanced at each other, unsure how to react to the unwelcome intrusion.
{^}
It didn't take long for Juri to arrive at the trouble spot. She parked her bike on the other side of the road to have more room to operate.
Juri dismounted and eyed her quarry as they all turned to face her. She noted their uncertainty while observing them. That was fine with her since it kept her opponents from guessing her intentions.
'So, five assholes to deal with,' she thought. 'Most likely some weapons. The big dude with the scar and the tire iron is probably the leader. Probably not as much of a challenge as I hoped, but it'll do.'
Juri briefly turned her attention to the victim. A young woman in royal blue scrubs with disheveled cinnamon brown hair huddled against the fence. The right side of her tear-stained face was red from an impact of some sort while her puffy aquamarine eyes were pleading for help. The woman's attire indicated that she was a nurse. Juri raised an eyebrow. The woman facing her was clearly not a threat.
'Sheesh, five guys to handle this nurse chick?' she thought. 'That's quite the overkill. Well sweetie, lucky for you, it looks like the cavalry has arrived.'
Juri didn't particularly care about the huddled woman before her, but she preferred to take on opponents worth her time. It was very doubtful that this nurse started the confrontation. It was far more likely that this gang caught her while trying to fix the tire.
Ultimately, it didn't really matter why the nurse was there. She was irrelevant to the task at hand. Juri finally had a chance to vent her frustrations. The adrenaline built up within as she gleefully anticipated the impending confrontation. This gang could try her on for size instead. The world would be better off without these lowlifes in it.
The gang started to cluster closer together to ascertain Juri's intentions. She decided to end the impasse and unfolded her arms, clapping slowly. A smirk formed on her face.
"Ha ha, wow, it took five of you losers to handle that poor little woman," she sneered, leaning slightly forward with her hands on her hips. "You should be proud of yourselves. Maybe if you call for backup, you can finish her off!"
{^}
Kara's hopes rose when she saw the motorbike pull up near the group. She blinked her eyes in disbelief at the figure on it. A muscular Asian woman in a white tank top dismounted and then boldly stood in the middle of the road. The stranger folded her arms and remained silent, casting a searching look at each person in turn.
The newcomer's gaze fell on Kara. The former raised her left eyebrow. Kara looked away when she noticed the eye patch that covered the woman's left eye. After a few moments of focusing on Kara, the one-eyed woman slowly clapped her hands and smirked. She didn't seem to be concerned with being heavily outnumbered.
'Terrific,' Kara thought, gently rubbing her forehead. 'I need the freaking cops and I get some batshit crazy chick with a death wish.'
Kara couldn't understand why this mystery woman exuded a complete air of confidence. The newcomer possessed a fearlessness that belied her stature despite facing five men who dwarfed her. A pit formed in Kara's stomach when the woman set about insulting the gang with a sultry voice.
{^}
Juri had been studying the group via her Feng Shui Engine as soon as she dismounted. The battered woman surprisingly registered the highest ki energy. It wasn't close to what most elite street fighters had, but it was more than any in the group surrounding her. If that was the case, then why hadn't she put up a fight instead of kneeling on the ground? Hell, why wasn't this nurse doing something, anything to change her fate?
'If you're gonna die, sweetie, then it's better to do it on your feet,' Juri thought. Nevertheless, Juri filed the woman's ki level information away. Perhaps it would be useful later.
Juri wasn't too concerned about her opponents, though she knew with these odds that it just took one lucky shot to make things go awry. However, Juri understood that the the Feng Shui Engine in her left eye gave her an incomparable advantage. Passive mode alone raised her ki level to a moderately constant higher level. In active mode, however, an intense burst of energy greatly augmented her strength, speed and reaction times for a short time span. The engine leveled the playing field.
Juri possessed this remarkable piece of technology due to her involvement in the Shadaloo Intimidation Network, or SIN over six years ago, though the reasons why she joined went back further still.
Juri and her family were kidnapped by Shadaloo a long time ago. Her father, a top South Korean prosecuting lawyer, had damning evidence of the organization's criminal activity in that country. However, Shadaloo abducted him, his wife and their daughter, Juri, before he could present it in court. It was a clear message for others to back off with their investigations. Shortly after being taken hostage, Juri watched in horror as her parents were executed in front of her at a secret Shadaloo facility.
Juri remained alive, slated to be brainwashed as one of Bison's elite personal guard, otherwise known as the Dolls. For several weeks, Shadaloo scientists performed unspeakable tests and examinations on her to gauge her mental and physical fitness.
Despite being just 15 years old at the time, Juri's spirit never broke and she eventually found the opportunity to escape. The taekwondo champion fought off fellow reconditioned female assassins before running into Bison himself. In the ensuing lopsided fight, the Shadaloo leader gouged out Juri's left eye. Despite the agonizing pain, she fought tenaciously enough to break his grip and flee.
Juri was eventually able to miraculously escape the facility, but the episode left her enraged and in a state of terrible physical and emotional pain. Juri vowed that she'd avenge both her parent's deaths and her own mutilation no matter the cost. Nothing would stop her from destroying Shadaloo.
Ten years later, the SIN leader, Seth, found Juri and persuaded her to join his organization, which had technically broken away from Shadaloo control after Bison's initial demise. It was here that Juri gained the important Feng Shui Engine as a replacement for her missing eye. She had been a willing participant in Seth's test to ascertain the bionic eye's abilities.
Juri had found a warped kindred spirit in Seth, who also hated Bison and Shadaloo. The fact that Seth also wanted to rule the world didn't bother Juri in the slightest. For the time being, she had been content to follow along in destroying their mutual enemy. After that was accomplished, who knew what else was possible?
Scar's response cut off Juri's trip down memory lane.
"Heh, are all women around here totally fuckin' stupid?" he asked, gesturing to Juri with the tire iron. "Hey, pirate lady, why don't ya just walk away while ya still can. This doesn't even concern ya, although I'm more than willing to add another to tonight's festivities."
Juri snorted and let out a shrill bark of laughter before slowly edging to her right. The idiot had it all wrong. There would be festivities, all right; just not the kind he anticipated. She confirmed that her opponents indeed carried weapons: knives, a chain and a tire iron. That would make things a bit more interesting, though she had faced against much worse before.
'It's not like any of them have a rocket launcher or something...' she mused.
Now that Juri had their attention, it was time to piss them off. They'd make plenty of mistakes if they were angry enough and not thinking clearly.
"Festivities...oooh that sounds pretty hot," Juri replied, placing her thumb and forefinger very close together, continually shifting to the right. "For what? You know they're lying through their teeth when they say the best things come in small packages."
Several gang members growled. They clearly understood her implication. Juri's eyes widened innocently while she held one hand to her mouth. It was time to get them really mad.
"Oh, do I have to explain further, or should I draw a picture?" she asked sweetly. "I promise to keep it simple so you can follow."
Before Scar could come back with a riposte, the tough furthest to Juri's right howled in rage and charged towards her with knife in hand. Several moments later, the rest followed. The uncoordinated attack made Juri grin. Things were going smoothly. She was finally going to get some much-needed payback from those who were keeping her from her prize.
"Heh, big mistake idiots," Juri purred as she slowly licked her lips in anticipation. "Showtime."
{^}
The newcomer's slights elicited a low groan from Kara. She couldn't see how pissing off the gang with anatomical insults was helpful. Now that their full attention was on the intruder, however, she considered fleeing. However, with five to two odds, the gang could probably handle both situations at once. Kara knew it would only take one of them to chase her down again. Besides, she wasn't in much shape for running after the fence collision.
The man to Kara's left became enraged enough to rush forward and attack the strange woman. The rest followed suit several seconds later. The distraction gave Kara an opportunity to escape, but her attention remained fixated on the one who insisted on provoking this uneven fight. The interloper smirked and seemed to murmur something that was drowned out by the outraged shouts of the gang. She moved into a stance, balancing herself on one leg. Far from being concerned, the newcomer looked completely relaxed. Several strands of black and white mist began to swirl around her.
"Oh shit..." Kara breathed. She had never seen anything like it. 'What the hell is going on?'
{^}
Juri finished her taunt and shifted into her fight stance, a modified crane posture. The straightened right leg remained planted to provide stability. Her upper left leg pointed in the direction of her opponents. From the side, her legs formed an angular letter P shape. Juri's upper body leaned slightly backwards as a counterbalance to her partially outstretched left leg. Her left arm rested on the upraised leg while the other remained in a neutral position.
"Come on," Juri urged her attackers. "Give me a little bit of a challenge!"
As the first attacker rushed towards Juri, she left her stance and went knock kneed, crouching slightly. Her left hand moved to her face to touch the eye patch. Black and white mist swirled around Juri as the Feng Shui Engine switched from passive to active mode. She could feel the ki energy building up within her until the mist suddenly exploded outwards in all directions. She arched her back and threw both of her trembling arms wide out as the power coursed through her body. A rapturous look formed on her face. Juri removed the eyepatch to reveal a glowing white eye as a smaller sphere of black and white mist briefly emanated from it. She turned her attention back to her attackers, who piled into each other in confusion upon witnessing this.
The lead gang member charging her halted in his tracks but was unaware that the mist was harmless. Scar and the chain wielder faltered as they bore down on the strange woman but didn't anticipate the lead tough stopping abruptly. They crashed into their comrade from behind and the three fell over each other, while the rear pair frantically veered to avoid the collision. The gang's attack, never coordinated to begin with, degenerated into total chaos.
Juri exacerbated the confusion as she crouched, spun and released a more concentrated burst of black and white mist towards the group. This time it shot outwards low to the ground in a crescent shape.
The last two on either side had avoided the pile and closed in. However, both momentarily hesitated in confusion as Juri fired off the low energy wave. She took advantage of their pause to engage the man to the right of the pile. Her ki enhancements gave her blazing speed. Her opponents moved like they were swimming in molasses by comparison.
Juri furiously propelled herself towards her quarry. The energy wave still bore bore down on the central trio when Juri connected with the gang member. Her speed was such that only her glowing eye was visible as contrails of vapor followed her. Juri whacked him in his midsection as she continued past him. The man spun from the impact and fell backwards. He didn't even have time to use his knife. Juri twisted in midair and delivered a powerful kick into his right side. The sound of ribs cracking could be heard as the gangster was flung screaming backwards to the asphalt.
"How'd that feel?!" Juri called out.
She landed just as the energy wave hit the man foremost in the pile. The arc crashed into the lead gang member on the ground, knocking him backwards into the two who were recovering from the initial collision. He cried out in pain as the projectile burned his legs before dissipating. The pair behind him were tripped up once again and unable to react for several crucial seconds.
The other mobile attacker was still swinging around the pile on the far side. Juri's first target rolled over and attempted to get up as he clutched his right side. She sprang, landed with one foot on his neck and shoved him face down into the pavement. The impact was so forceful that small chunks of asphalt flew outwards. Juri savagely ground her foot into his neck, snapping it. The attacker went limp.
"Eat some pavement, loser!" Juri shouted with delight as she drove him into the ground.
Juri rushed the other aggressor who had closed in on her. The man barely had time to register his comrade's demise before Juri was on him. He vainly swung his knife, but it was far too slow compared to her enhanced speed. Juri hit him with a couple of punches and a swivel kick. The shock of the attack disarmed the man and sent him flying. Juri delivered the coup de grace before he could react. She gleefully slammed her heel into his throat, knowing from the crunch that his neck was broken. The man's eyes glazed over as Juri continued her rampage, laughing as she did so.
The eye's active mode cycle was almost finished, so Juri assaulted the gang member hit from the energy wave. The other two had entangled themselves on the second fall. The wounded gang member staggered up on his injured legs. He desperately held his knife out to ward off Juri, but he couldn't compete with her speed. Juri lunged forward and grabbed his knife arm. Using her momentum, she drove it back knife point first. The gangster's eyes bulged as it buried in his throat. He was dying when Juri skidded to a stop in front of the remaining pair.
"Come on," she protested. "This is too easy!"
The Feng Shui Engine's active mode ran out. The remaining attackers' movements steadily increased in speed. The fight was returning to a regular tempo, but Juri was pleased with the results. She reduced the odds to much a more manageable two to one fight. Juri did a speedy walkover with the last of her increased ki power to create some space. The last thing she needed was to misstep and trip over a corpse. Juri also wanted to catch her breath and gain time for the bionic eye to recharge.
{^}
Kara had barely registered the flashing eye and swirls of mist before the strange woman became a blur. She didn't know exactly how, but within the span of less than 30 seconds, three of the attackers were not just down, but dead. Scar and his right-hand man had barely recovered when the newcomer shifted back into focus.
Kara realized something she considered unthinkable a few minutes before. She might survive this night! Kara noticed that her unlikely rescuer's eye was no longer glowing. Whatever the woman was using, it had to be the reason for her turbocharged abilities.
'Who the hell is she?' she wondered.
{^}
Scar and his companion pondered the same thing. Within seconds, three of his group were dead without a blow being landed. This angel of death was unlike anyone Scar had ever fought against, though he had an idea of what he faced. She was undoubtedly one of those street fighters with incredible abilities he'd heard about and was therefore very dangerous. He snarled in frustration. It was just his poor luck that this elite martial artist stumbled onto his fun. The unauthorized hasty attack had failed miserably, so Scar decided on a different tactic. Perhaps this woman could be persuaded to leave.
Juri had retreated after the initial exchange. The fact that Scar no longer saw just a blur meant that whatever ability she used was spent. The she-demon stood a short distance in front of him, catching her breath, but none the worse for wear. She watched the two warily, briefly wiping a sheen of sweat from her forehead. Then she gave them a broad grin, like a carnivore viewing her prey. Scar dropped the tire iron in favor of his preferred weapon, a kukri knife. His partner had already pulled out a chain with a heavy blunt head on the end.
"Ok lady, ya made your point," Scar opened cautiously. "How about we talk about this. What do ya want? If it's about the girlie..."
He nodded back towards Kara.
Juri rolled her eyes in response. She was trying to judge which gang member was more dangerous. The chain whip could be a problem because of its range. The kukri knife was also trouble. The 12-inch inward curved blade could be used to stab or chop with equal effectiveness.
Juri could fling another Fuharenkyaku energy wave out. She'd have to get closer though, due to its limited range. Her opponents had already seen its effects, so they'd be ready for it next time. However, it might split them up so that she could engage them piecemeal. Juri decided to play for more time by conversing with Scar. Perhaps he knew why all of the gangs decided to go crazy tonight.
"I could care less about the cutie," Juri replied. Her grin was quickly replaced with a deadpan expression. "But I am interested in why the gangs decided to throw an all-out riot party tonight. They're really interfering with my own plans."
Scar grinned with relief in response. Perhaps there was room to negotiate after all!
"The payoff was very good from what I hear," he replied. Then the gang leader had an idea. "Look, maybe we can provide some sort of escort for ya. Get ya through some of the problem areas without any hassle to where ya need to go."
Juri frowned. Whoever was paying the gangs to wreak havoc had to know that it was ultimately futile. They'd get crushed as soon as additional law enforcement or even the military were brought in. And why this particular night? Could it relate to the deal she was trying to crash? It was certainly possible. In any case, it was likely that this was all the information Juri was going to glean from these two. They clearly weren't high enough in the chain of command to know more. Juri needed to finish them off quickly so she could continue with her mission. The savage grin returned.
"You really think I need you clowns to protect me?" She answered with a sharp laugh. "You're worthless. Less than useless, actually. Let's wrap this up because I have other things to do. This isn't as fun as I hoped it would be."
Scar and his companion paled. The attempt to broker a deal had fallen flat and left them no option but to fight this vicious woman. Juri knew that they were scared. The use of the Feng Shui Engine had the desired effect of producing both uncertainty and fear. They had no idea what was coming next and three of their comrades were already dead. Scar had one more question.
"Who are you?" he asked with a slight quiver in his voice. Juri's grin grew wider in response as she noticed the other woman sliding towards the tire iron that Scar dropped. A distraction would make Juri's job much easier. Besides, it was about time this fool got involved to save herself instead of cowering.
"It's Juri Han, not that it'll mean much to you soon," she announced, advancing a couple of steps forward. It was time to finish this. "Now, it's time to die!"
{^}
Kara recoiled slightly upon hearing Juri's response. If this Juri woman didn't plan to rescue her, then why did she start this fight? Just for thrills? Was she psychotic? And 'cutie?' Seriously? This brought up a potential problem for Kara. Would this lunatic turn on her if or when she won the fight?
Scar would certainly turn his attention back to Kara if he took Juri out. Either way, she needed something to defend herself. She edged towards the dropped tire iron.
The two gang members had completely forgotten about her. While Juri chatted, Kara slid closer to the lug wrench. It had bounced sideways towards Chains when it hit the pavement, settling just behind him. He was completely focused on Juri and unaware of Kara's presence. However, Scar noticed her movement out of the corner of his eye. He barked a warning to Chains as Juri crouched, spun and let loose another energy wave at the pair. Then she leapt towards Chains to close the distance.
Scar's eyes widened as he saw the ripple shoot forward. He cursed and dove to his right to avoid it, but this action pulled him away from his partner. Kara snatched and threw the tire iron Frisbee-style at Chains' legs as he pivoted to face her. His right arm swung backwards to bring the chain's rectangular head in an awkward arc towards her. Kara's throw wasn't strong, but it still whacked him in the right leg.
Chains squawked instinctively, recoiling slightly as the lug wrench bounced against his shin. The blow threw off the chain's swing which missed Kara by inches. She barely had time to observe the energy wave shooting towards them both. Kara yelped and hugged the ground, throwing her hands over her head.
Chains saw Kara's reaction and turned his attention back to Juri. The energy projectile hit Chain's legs as he did so. He cried out as the black and white wave burned his jeans and legs before fading. Juri followed up by sprinting towards him. She sprung high into the air, twisted and backflipped before making contact. Her knee slammed into Chains' face, driving him backwards. Chains let out an agonized groan, dropping his weapon to clutch his hemorrhaging nose with both hands. It was clearly broken as she landed in a squat in front of him.
She followed through by bouncing up and snapping a kick straight up with her right foot into his jaw. Juri drove her leg straight back down, connecting with his forehead. The double shot whip-lashed Chains' head upwards, breaking his jaw. He flopped to his knees before collapsing face first onto the pavement. As he dropped, Juri jumped up to land one foot on his head. She mercilessly shoved her leg down, accelerating the fall until Chains' face smashed the pavement hard. Juri repeated what she had done with her first victim, letting out a harsh laugh as drove her foot hard into the back of his neck. The ensuing loud crack meant that Chains would never get up again. Only the gang leader was left.
"Aw, did that hurt?" Juri taunted as she hopped off the lifeless body.
As Juri applied the finishing touches to Chains, Scar had recovered and gotten to his feet. He saw his companion's broken face smashed into the ground. Juri's finishing blow and subsequent taunt enraged Scar. He roared furiously and lunged towards Juri, brandishing his kukri knife. He was completely berserk. The dread he had earlier was now replaced by a reckless,
desperate ferocity. Kara had gotten to her knees, saw Scar charging and called out a warning to Juri.
Juri barely avoided the attack by flipping backwards into the air. Scar swung his kukri knife with wild abandon to connect with his elusive opponent. Juri dodged backwards and darted sideways on the road, waiting for an opening.
"Why don't ya face me, ya fucking bitch," he roared, waving his knife at her. "All out of tricks now?!"
Juri grinned in response, focusing on simply evading his attacks. She waited for the artificial eye to finish charging back up. Scar couldn't keep this frantic pace up forever. The adrenaline could only last for so long before he'd crash, but the kukri knife remained a hazard. She let out a cackling laugh to further stoke his temper. Scar redoubled his efforts as he threw himself at Juri again and again in a seething rage, but she remained just outside his blade's reach.
'Yeah dumbass, just keep flailing around,' Juri mused inwardly. 'You're dead and you don't even realize it.'
Sure enough, Scar steadily ran out of steam after a couple of minutes. However, he suddenly had an epiphany. Scar belatedly realized that there was a way to coerce her to stand and fight. With a grin of his own, he turned and barrelled towards Juri's motorbike, aiming to wreck it. Juri's eyes widened and she let out a surprised gasp. She muttered a curse, chasing after him.
'Clever little shit,' Juri thought, as she raced after Scar. 'Forcing my hand like that, but too late.'
Scar's belated inspiration was cut short when Juri's engine finished recharging. As he closed on the bike, she stopped momentarily as it went active. Time slowed down around her once again as she rapidly caught up with her prey. Scar must have sensed something was amiss because he turned to face her. His jaw dropped when he saw Juri speeding towards him. Her eye was glowing once again.
Scar slashed with his kukri knife in a vain effort to break up the attack, but Juri was far too swift. His arm was just beginning the swing when she launched herself, spun and delivered a kick into his chest. The blow drove him backwards. Juri followed up the attack with a strike to his throat, a kick to his right knee and then an elbow into his chest. Scar tried to scream in agony as his knee buckled and cracked from the blow, but he had the wind knocked out from the other hits. He dropped the knife as one hand went to his throat while the other grabbed his shattered knee as he toppled to the ground.
He fell near where his comrades lay, gasping for air, his pleading eyes transfixed on his assailant. Juri scowled and finished Scar off with a savage kick to the side of his head. The audible crack signaled the end of the short but brutal fight as Scar's body went limp.
Kara, still on her knees, jumped at the sound and winced.
"So disappointing," Juri snarled as she delivered the finishing blow.
The white glow in Juri's eye dimmed and finally winked out while she coldly surveyed the wreckage. She caught her breath and wiped some more sweat from her brow. In a little under four minutes, Juri had eliminated all five of the gang members without a touch even landing on her. She checked her victims for signs of life. Her Feng Shui Engine confirmed that they were dead.
Juri turned her attention to Kara, who goggled at her but remained on her knees. A grunt escaped Juri's lips as put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
"Man, sometimes I wish I could get a freaking refund for the time I've invested on people that aren't worth it," Juri muttered before raising her voice.
"Hey sweetie, fight's over, you can get up now," Juri announced, but Kara remained on her knees. Juri shrugged her shoulders. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now. Beating the shit out of nurses isn't really my thing though."
Kara was still in a state of shock over what had happened in the last 20 minutes. She had gone from her being chased, almost gang raped and murdered by several thugs to surviving amidst a scene of carnage created by one strange woman. Kara didn't need her professional skills to know that all the gang members were dead. The cause of their destruction was standing nonchalantly, tapping her left foot on the ground about ten yards in front of her.
Kara inwardly let out a sigh of relief. Juri wasn't planning on adding Kara to the body count. She decided to get up but paused when she saw the tire iron on the pavement a few feet away. Kara leaned towards the tool and collected it before standing up to face Juri.
Juri watched the nurse grab the tire iron and slowly get up. A thought crossed her mind. Was this idiot going to fight? She froze, her hands clenched. Her lips pursed while her forehead furrowed.
"Are you seriously going to take a shot at me?" Juri asked astonishingly. A look of puzzlement crossed Kara's face.
"What?" she asked, not comprehending the inquiry. Kara then noticed Juri's focus on the tire iron in her hand. "Oh...um...no, this is mine. I need it for my flat tire."
Juri relaxed, shook her head in amazement and let out a soft snort. The anticlimactic answer wasn't expected. A short, awkward silence ensued. Juri had scant experience with rescuing people and unsure of what else to say. In the end, she opted for a typical snarky response.
"Uh-huh. Well, I got what I wanted, did my good deed for the day and you're free to do whatever the hell you need to do. It's been...entertaining and I'd say see ya, but I doubt we'll meet again."
Juri turned and walked back towards her motorbike. Kara's jaw dropped as she stared at Juri's back. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She took a couple of steps towards Juri.
"Wait, you're just taking off?! Could you at least give me a lift and watch my back while I finish fixing my tire? I have some money if that's what you're worried about."
Juri stopped, hung her head for a moment, snorted and threw it back, peals of cackling laughter erupting as she spun around.
"Sweetie-"
Kara interjected. The 'cutie' and 'sweetie' tags were getting tiresome.
"It's Kara."
Juri rolled her eyes and chuckled. This nurse had some chutzpah. It left Juri mildly impressed.
"Ok...Kara...I have places to be, and time is running out. Believe me, money isn't an issue for me. You'll be fine."
Kara frowned deeply. This bitch really was going to just take off.
"You can't just leave me here-"
Juri's eyes suddenly narrowed. Her laughter died abruptly as she cut Kara off. Juri's arms folded across her chest as she regarded the nurse. Her initial amusement of Kara's audacity was souring rapidly.
"Give me a break, sweetie. You know, I'm feeling pretty good right now, so I'll cut you some slack. That's a lot more than what I do for most people, so count yourself lucky and quit while you're ahead."
Kara scowled but did nothing else. They both knew from the recent demonstration that she was incapable of forcing Juri to do anything.
"Fine," the nurse said quietly. She shook her head slowly in disgust.
Juri's attitude abruptly swung from irritated to almost cheerful.
"There, see? You're not quite as dumb as I thought you were. Most people in this situation wouldn't take the hint, just keep pushing and well..."
Juri left the statement hanging with a Gallic shrug.
Kara looked away sullenly. She had a pretty good idea of what "well" meant. It was probably best to leave this psycho be. Kara couldn't think of anyone who would willingly stop to fight five large armed men just for the hell of it.
Juri nodded and turned again to leave. She reached her motorbike and hopped on, starting the engine. She glanced once more at Kara. Juri grinned and saluted her with two fingers to the brow and sped off down the road.
As Kara watched the motorbike fade into the night, she had a shameful realization. She never thanked her crazed benefactor for saving her life. Kara regarded the broken forms and shuddered, feeling slightly ill as she surveyed the scene of slaughter. It was well past the time to leave, but she spied the kukri knife next to Scar's body. Kara shuffled forward and picked it up with slightly shaking hands. If she was going to get jumped again, at least she'd have a decent weapon to fight with. Kara swung it perfunctorily several times before giving a satisfied nod before moving along.
Kara settled into an unsteady jog back to her destination. She was still shaken by her experience. The pain from the fence impact to her face was steadily replacing the numbness that the shock and stress was draining away. Her hands still stung from the scrapes on the pavement. Kara resolved to take care of that when she got back to the car and her first aid kit. However, as unpleasant as her night had gone so far, Kara was certain of one thing. She was still alive and extremely fortunate to be so.
But for now, Kara needed to finish replacing her tire. Then she could head home for some much-needed rest. She'd have plenty of time to recover with her stint at the hospital complete.