After the End - Chapter 13
Cybersix and Lori walk through the quiet city streets. Clouds had moved in at sunset, and the thin crescent moon struggles to offer any light at all to the dreary night.
Nearing Lori's house, they enter one of the poorer neighborhoods in town.
Cybersix figured the girl lived in an area like this. Part of her reason for walking Lori home
is to make her feel safe, but also to find out where she lives. That way,
she and Data 7 can guard her from Sylvester
Cybersix is thinking about how best to protect her student when an overwhelming sense of foreboding grips her. She stops in her tracks. Lori turns to her and opens her mouth to ask what's wrong.
"Stop!" The voice cuts into the heavy night and cuts off Lori's question. It comes from the alley up ahead.
"Stay!" Cybersix tells the girl, then sprints off in the direction of the voice.
"Help!"
She rounds the corner and immediately takes in the scene. A dark figure - a woman - holding a man against the wall. A knife glinting at the man's throat. Without another thought Cybersix dives for the assailant, body checking the woman out of the way. Type. She grabs the hand with the knife and pulls it away from the man. The attacker loses her grip on the weapon and it flies into the darkness, the hard clang of its landing breaking the stillness a seconds later.
Cybersix glances over at the type's intended victim. The man's face is familiar; she's seen him somewhere - maybe on the news? He looks back at her, stunned, his face a chalky white. "Get out of here!" She yells at him.
He blinks once, then spins around and runs for the street. The type assassin starts after him. Cybersix jumps over her head, landing to stand between her and her prey.
The type stops only a few inches away from Cybersix. Dressed all in black with long black hair tied back from a beautifully sculpted face, sharp contrast emanates from her ice blue eyes, which at this moment blaze in fury. "Cyber 6." The smooth deep voice spits out the name like a curse.
Saying nothing, Cybersix stares back unflinchingly into her cold eyes.
"I've been waiting a long time for this." The type tenses.
Cybersix follows suit. "Which one are you?"
"2."
"You think you're so good, cyber? I haven't lost a fight in three years."
So she wants a fight, does she? She obviously isn't going to go away gently. "But you've never fought me." Cybersix answers quietly. They stare into each other's eyes for several seconds. Then both women instinctively drop into their fighting stances, each taking a few steps back to asses their opponent. They begin to circle.
Just as Cybersix expected, Type 2 attacks first, jumping at her with a powerful front kick. Cybersix steps back and the type's foot passes inches from her face. She answers with her own kick, her foot landing squarely on the other woman's belly. The force of the blow sends the type flying backwards. But instead of slamming helplessly into the far wall, the type bounces right off it, springing back to land easily in front of Cybersix.
She is good. It's been a long time since Cybersix has had a fight like this, one on one against a skilled opponent. She steps in to engage her enemy. A rapid volley of punches, kicks, spins and blocks ensues, both women using the limits of their skill, giving as good as they get. Cybersix takes a solid punch in the ribs but jumps back in to plant a foot on Type 2's kneecap. Fists and feet continue to fly for several intense minutes. They've had the same training; they're of relatively equal size. The fight will come down to whoever makes the first mistake.
The fighters are still for a split second before rushing in to attack again. Cybersix goes on the offensive, blocking a punch with her forearm and landing an uppercut of her own on the type's jaw. Moving with the momentum instead of against it, the type turns the motion into a high roundhouse kick. Cybersix blocks the leg just before it hits her ear, grabs it with both hands, and pushes. Her opponent topples over backward. She lunges forward to pin her down but is stopped cold by the sudden shock of the other woman's foot connecting with her chin. She stumbles backward as Type 2 leaps to her feet.
Suddenly gaining new respect for each other's skills, the fighters back off and circle each other again. Then, as if cued by some unconscious a signal, both jump at exactly the same instant. They meet in the air, slamming into each other's bodies. The fight turns into a wrestling match as they grasp each other, twisting in the air to determine who lands on top. The wind rushes by Cybersix's ears as Type 2 gets above her. If they land like this, she's done for.
Just in the nick of time she manages to get her knees between them and kick the other woman's hips away. Cybersix flips over in the air like a cat, barely striking the ground with her feet under her.
Knocked off balance, the type lands flat on her back, grunting at the impact. Smelling victory, Cybersix jumps on the woman's waist, deftly grabs her wrists and pins them above her head.
The tableau holds for a moment, both women panting, Cybersix with her face directly over Type 2's. Determined coal black eyes meet hateful ice blue ones once more.
"I win." Cybersix leans down to bite her victim's neck.
The type growls furiously as the cyber's teeth sink into her, but she's helpless to stop it. Cybersix savors the taste of the concentrated sustenance in the type's blood. Unfortunately it's too soon for her to need a full dose right now, but she takes enough to replace what she will have lost in the fight. Quickly satisfied, she raises her neck to look in her opponent's face.
"Damn, you are good." Type 2 grits out.
"Are you going to go quietly?" Cybersix asks.
Hatred flashes again in the other woman's eyes, but it quickly disappears. She nods her head. Cybersix gets off her and both of them rise slowly to their feet. Type 2 gives her one last look, then turns around walks away, limping slightly but head held high.
"Master's not going to be happy about me losing that target." Cybersix hears her mumble as she rounds the corner.
Hmm. So Jose's calling himself Master now. Only now starting to feel her injuries, Cybersix walks slowly back to where Lori's been watching from a safe distance.
"Wow." The girl says as she approaches. "Not your average chic fight. Are you okay?"
"I'll live." Cybersix runs a hand through her hair. Looking at her arm, Lori sees a gash from where the other woman's fingernail raked her. Then she notices the black "6" of her tattoo sticking out below her bunched up sleeve.
"So I guess you won't be coming to school tomorrow."
"Yes I will. Why wouldn't I?"
"You're hurt."
Cybersix snorts derisively. "I've been hurt a lot worse than this. This is par for the course in my life." She starts walking down the street. "Come on, let's go."
Seeing her teacher in a whole new light for the second time that year, Lori follows.
"Come in."
Lucas walks past Kevin into the apartment. He decides to get right to the point. He tries to act casual as he takes off his coat and sits down. "So...Do you have any leads on who might have stolen that vial?"
"Leads?" Kevin smiles ruefully. "I'm not a TV cop, Lucas. And no, I have no idea who it might've been." He sits down on the other chair. "Drink?"
"Uh, no thanks. Listen, I came here to tell you something."
Kevin looks at him attentively.
"I was talking to my friend - the one who found the vial? - and she said there might be some powerful people after it. She said you should lay low for a while, you know, be extra careful where you go, who you trust."
Kevin regards his friend seriously as a this news sinks in. "Lucas, are you in some kind of trouble over that stuff? If you are, I want to know; maybe I can help. Besides," He adds quietly. "If this concerns me too, I think I have a right to know."
"No," Lucas hesitates. "I'm not in any kind of trouble."
"But I take it this friend of yours is?"
Lucas looks up into his mild eyes. He sighs. "Okay, Kevin. I'll tell you where that vial came from. But first you've got to swear to me that you won't tell a single soul."
"I swear." Kevin replies steadily.
Lucas sighs again. "Okay. You've heard of Cybersix?...."