Escape From Tokyo

My palms were so sweaty that I thought I was going to lose my grip on the sword. The chauffeur kept swinging the mace. With each swing the revolutions grew wider and faster. Kenny and I backed away each time, awaiting the inevitable. The driver kept approaching us, a cruel mockery of a smile upon his hardened visage. I stepped back again. I stumbled over a crack in the cement, and that is when the mace flew.

Kenny ducked for cover. I did the same. The spiked iron ball missed the two of us, barely. It struck the concrete wall with the force of a flying anvil! The flail lodged itself into the cement, causing the stone to crumble. That is when Kenny and I attacked. I ran towards the big fat bastard, ready to plunge the steel of Hattori Honzo into his black heart. When I tried to deliver a death blow the driver caught my sword in the chain and redirected my momentum!

"Kenny, watch out!" I screamed. Kenny barely dodged the razor edge of my blade. I just missed sheering his upper torso in half.

I tried to wrangle my sword away from the big bully but it was caught in the chain! The driver flashed an insidious smile. Then he started jerking me around like I was a puppet. The driver's strength was borderline superhuman. I felt like a fly caught in a spiders web! He whipped the chain around, again and again, as I went flailing through the air. I was literally doing aerial summersaults as the big brute swung me to and fro, with nothing but the handle of my sword keeping me from going "SPLAT" on the cement! With one smooth movement the chauffeur from hell swung me towards one of the limosines. I was able to push off the side of the door with my legs, still hanging onto the sword for dear life.

"Hold on Nikki, don't let go!" I heard Kenny yell from the ground (that's how high up I was being thrown!). Kenny tried to run interference, but he didn't get much further than that. The driver kicked Kenny hard in the stomach. The blow sent him tumbling into the dirt. Thankfully one of the fallen bodies was there to break his fall or he would have been skinned alive on the pavement!

The driver, on the other hand, hadn't broken stride! He continued tossing me around like Kenny had never even made an attempt to attack him.

I felt myself losing my grip on the sword, as I tried to avoid hitting the alley wall and metal vehicles, I don't think I can hold this sword much longer! I thought. My palms were sweating profusely, and vertigo was overwhelming my senses. My grip finally gave and I plummeted to the ground. Thankfully, Kenny was there to break my fall, or else I might have broken something.

He and I went tumble across the ground like two rag dolls tossed away by an angry child.

The chauffeur was still standing there, this time his weapon was in full swing. He was going for another attack. My sword now lie at his feet. There was no way I was going to get that close.

Kenny went at him again though.

The driver was ready. The chauffeur started advancing even more quickly this time. I was astonished by how fast he moved! I have never seen a man that size move that fast in my life. He swung the mace about like it was second nature. His skill with the weapon was nothing short of remarkable!

Kenny's sword clashed against the might of the wrecking ball. Kenny was so busy trying to defend himself against the rapid gyrations of the flail that he couldn't fight. The limo driver was incredibly quick and agile. I could only compare him to those ballerina hippos in the Disney movie, "Fantasia." Kenny was fast enough to avoid getting caught up in the chain, but it wouldn't be too long. The chauffeur was backing him into a corner.

That is when I saw my chance. I made a mad dash for my fallen sword, and quickly retrieved it. But, just as swiftly did the mace come flying towards me, again!

"Nikki, heads up!" Kenny yelled. I dropped and ducked again, and this time the flail went smashing through the Mercedes Benz window behind me! I got back up and saw the chauffeur running towards Kenny, the mace in full swing! This time Kenny turned tail and ran, to avoid the thing altogether. That move was the first mistake he made. The flail caught Kenny in its vice, and coiled around his body like a hungry serpent. The chauffeur tugged at the chain and yanked him around like an anorexic chihuaha! The chauffeur swung Kenny into the concrete wall, knocking him cold.

"KENNY!" I yelled. When Kenny's body dropped my body went hot.

If the fat bastard was trying to piss me off he succeeded.

No one fucks with my boyfriend.

The driver started unfurling the mace from around Kenny's body. But I struck first. I hurtled towards him with the speed of jet plane. I slashed him across the arm with my sword. The bloody gash earned me his undivided attention, "You little bitch!" He screamed, in Japanese. He hoisted the mace up and hurled it towards me. I did three backwards summersaults to escape its range. The mace fell to the ground with a thud. The driver looked really pissed. He started swinging the flail again, and advanced towards me with even more gusto.

I kept going backwards, until I realized I was being backed into the corner. I quickly ran to my right, and that is when the iron ball came flying at me again! I did a forward summersault and narrowly escaped it.

This time the driver grabbed both ends of the chain, and began swinging it in a figure eight formation. I was scared out of my wits. I didn't know which way to move or which direction the thing would fly next. Then he launched it again, and this time it came careening towards me like a steaming locomotive! I went left this time, slamming into the side of one of the cars. But, I didn't have a chance to catch my breath when I saw the thing coming at me again! I dodged it in the nick of time. The mace slammed into the roof of the mercedes like a falling asteroid! The car literally lept two feet off the ground! I thanked my lucky stars. Had I been hit I would have been dead.

He yanked the mace out of the car.

I ran to Kenny's side and snatched the Honzo sword from his hands. I had practice with two sword style, but I didn't know how good I was, skills don't fail me now.

This time the driver and I faced off. If I was going to beat him I had to get past that goddamn chain. I produced both swords and positioned my body in the style of the crane.

He laughed, "You have Hattori Honzo steel, but let's see if you have Honzo skills..." he said in accented english. He started swinging the mace again.

I began to slowly encircle him. I knew his strategy now. He liked to get his opponents into a small space and then over power them. My style was about speed and fluidity. I had to make him adapt to me, and not the other way around.

He started walking towards me...

This time I ran to him. The swords were in full swing as I charged! I began to hack at the chain as he tried to defend himself!

My strategy had proven effective. He was startled that I had charged him, and now he was working doubly hard to defend himself against my attack. He tried to wrap me up in the chain again, but I flipped over it and slashed him across the chest with my sword! He staggered, almost losing his grip on the weapon. I tried to come in for another blow, but he blocked it with the flail. And just as quickly did he tie my wrist up in its vice, causing me to drop Kenny's sword to the ground! God, not this again! I thought. I tried to twist myself free. The chauffeur smiled, as if he knew what I was thinking. I tried to stab him again, but to no avail. My sword went clanging to the ground as both of my wrists were tied in chains!

"Now you die--HUGK!" The chauffeur gasped! Suddenly, blood began spewing from his mouth like a geyser. He loosed his gripped on me as the chains fell to the ground.

That is when I heard a blood curdling primal scream! I looked up and there stood Kenny, in back of the chauffeur. His honzo sword lodged in the brute's back. Kenny grabbed the handle of the sword and plunged it into our limo driver's back, again! This time the blade pierced through the giant's sternum bone and went out through his chest. The big man collapsed to the ground and died. Kenny yanked his sword out and sheathed it once more. He was visibly shaken.

I got up and ran to him. I took Kenny's arm into mine. He flinched as I did so. His breaths were ragged, and he was trembling. There was blood on the side of his head, and he was sweating profusely, "Kenny, we have to get out of here, tonight." I said, trying to maintain my composure. My heart was beating 100 miles a minute. To say I was freaked would have been the understatement of the century. This was not supposed to happen. I had a plan, and this incident deviated from the path that I had constructed for myself. I had reached the point of no return and gone over the edge.

"Yeah, we need to. Do you know the way back?" He asked, finally calming down.

"Yeah. We just need to get patched up and get ready. We have to be out of here before these guys wake up..." I already saw several of the fallen gangsters struggling to get up off the ground, their wounds overtaking them as they did so.

I reached into the dead driver's pockets and produced the keys. Kenny and I ran to the car and got in. I put the key in the ignition and cranked up the engine.

We arrived back at the hotel within the hour. We ditched the limosine two blocks away and walked the rest of the distance. Kenny and I went in through the back door to avoid any confrontations. He took a shower, and when he came out I tended to his wounds, and vice versa. Thankfully he nor I had any serious injuries. Kenny still looked visably shaken.

"You did what you had to do, Kenny." I said, in an effort to console him, "He was trying to kill us..."

He nodded his head, "Yeah-Yeah, I know...I'm just thinking about it is all. I didn't think it would get this heavy, Y'know?" he said, as he looked me in the eyes.

I don't know what it was about that look, but it bored into my soul. Kenny was being my friend by coming along; however, I had almost gotten him killed, on my quest for revenge,

"Kenny, I think you should go back home--" I blurted out.

"Go back home? No way!" He shouted, "Nikki, we almost got killed tonight, we need to be together-"

"Kenny this isn't your fight!" I retorted, "This is serious business now, and I don't want you to get in any deeper!"

"Oh, so you got me all fired up, and now you want to leave me behind? Fuck that, Nikki! You're my girlfriend, and I want to defend you, I love you!" He said.

Do you know how it feels when you are blissfully elated and tragically sad at the sametime? Well, that is how I felt when Kenny told me he loved me, at that moment. Kenny never minced words. I knew that his feelings were true.

I went over and held him as tightly as I could, "I love you too Ken," I said, as I began to cry, "But, I have to do this alone. When that limo driver took you down I kept hoping you weren't dead. I realize now that I never should have told you any of this..." I pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes, "This is something that I have to settle, for myself. If I am ever going to find peace in my life I have to do this alone."

Kenny fought back tears, "You know what you're asking me to do, right?" He said, "You're asking me to let my best friend, the woman that I love, go on a quest that could be potentially fatal...What would you do in my situation?"

"What would you do in mine?"

"You had better stay in touch with me, Nikkia..." he said, finally relenting, "Whereever you are show me some sign that you are okay. I mean it, or I am going to track you down whether you like it or not."

I smiled, "I won't be gone forever, Kenny. Please be around when I comeback."

Kenny hugged me tight, "I promise. Just come back, okay?" He whispered.

"Okay."

Kenny and I boarded seperate planes later that night. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, in my life.

My nerves were on edge the entire time I sat in the airport. Everytime someone even glanced at me I froze, wondering if anyone had seen or reported what had gone on in the darkened Alleyway(they probably wouldn't care being that the perps were gangsters).

There were no planes headed directly to Texas; so I decided to take the plane to Los Angeles, California and head to Texas from there. It took an hour, but I was on the next flight out of Tokyo. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was probably never going back, either.

"What is your name?"

"Maxine Caldwell." I said.

"May I see two forms of ID Ms. Caldwell?" the rent-a-car attendant asked.

I reached into my purse and took out one of my fake ID's. This one was of 35 year old Maxine Caldwell. I didn't know how believeable I would be as a 35 year old woman, but I needed a car really bad and I couldn't use the same name twice.

"Wow, you look so young to be thirty five! I thought you were about eighteen." the young blonde remarked.

"Thank you." I blushed.

"Well, Ms. Caldwell, what kind of car would you like: Convertible, Sedan, Sports car, or--"

"I'll take a sports car, preferably something red..." Red was my favorite color.

"You're just in luck. We have a Honda Civic out back that fits that Description." She said.

"That will be fine..."

The attendant began to run the computer and type in "my" information, "How long will you be keeping the car?"

"Oh, about a few weeks. My own car is in the shop. I'll shoot for three weeks. How much will that cost?" Money was no object for me, being that I was worth 2.5 million dollars.

"That will be 1,500 dollars, Ms. Caldwell." She replied, perkily.

"I'll pay cash." I said.

A few minutes later an attendant parked the gorgeous Honda Civic right next to the curb. It was absolutely fantastic! The car looked like It had been driven right off the showroom floor. The paint job was a dazzling candy apple red, and the wheels had spinning chrome rims. The windows were tinted as well. I opened the car door and the entire even smelled brand new. Yes!

I drove off the lot and booked a motel room for the night. I decided to take a long nap and leave Los Angeles, for Houston, first thing in the morning.

Note: This Chapter Leads to The Lonestar Lodge.

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your reviews and critiques. I really love writing, and it is extremely humbling to know that all of you are enjoying something that I am working hard on. This is my first Fanfiction and your responses help me to keep going.

Now I'll just reply to your reviews and answer a few questions...

To All The Reviewers: Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I sincerely appreciate it. Usually alot of fanfictions are all about action and intensity, and I was wondering if I would even garner any readers being that I am doing something character driven. Thank you all, I appreciate it.

Looking At You: Thanks for your words of encouragement. I'm glad you like Kenny. At first I did not intend on having him as a major character, however, when I started writing for him he took on a life of his own. I'm glad that everyone appreciates him. I was afraid he was going to come off as just another, "Love Interest." Thanks again. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Andrew Jacob: Thanks for reading, reviewing, and critiquing. Just to answer a few questions.

I did not intend for the big alley battle to be a "rehash" of the original "House Of Blue Leaves" fight. It was my way of being a little ironic and paying tribute to the original Kill Bill. Sorry if it came off as rehashing that scene.

Also, my introduction of Valentine Jordan was, I feel, very pivotal because she is going to be a major antagonist for Nikki. I introed her because I didn't want her to be a one dimensional cardboard cut out like the other assassin. When I wrote chapter eight I was thinking of the way that Q.T. introduced O-Ren Ishii to the audience, by delving into her background. That anime scene helped make O-Ren my favorite character in the movie. In this story the women are more powerful than men, so I just wanted to play up Val.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read and review.