Femme Fatality

The map gave me the coordinates to a quaint little motel in Austin. My secret santa knew I was probably going to need the rest and relaxation, eventually. He or she was right. I was tired. If there was anyone waiting to surprise me then he or she was gonna get decapitated, case closed. Otherwise, I was ready to conk out.

I had been on the road for over an hour and my gas supply was starting to deplete. Fortunately, I saw a little service station on the roadside. The place was filled with truck drivers and tourists on vacation. Not exactly the kind of place a young black woman from the East Coast would normally hang out.

I pulled up to one of the gas pumps and got out of my car. As I walked to the entrance one of the truckers tipped his cowboy hat to me. I returned a half smile and proceeded onward. The others just stared at me like I had the plague. It was quite obvious that they didn't get a lot of black people in this area. That was all well and good. As long as those country bumpkin rednecks stayed the hell out of my way there wouldn't be any problems.

I opened the door to the convenience store and walked in. The store was fashioned like a quaint little log cabin, with rows and rows of junk food and various other items. I wasn't hungry though. I walked straight to the counter and rang the bell for the attendant.

A very tall and slender man walked out from the back, "What can ah git cha?" He said.

The attendant physically repulsed me. He had the build of a malnourished grasshopper. His arms were long and gangly, and there was a slight hump in his back. His skin was on the verge of developing melanoma skin cancer, if he didn't have it already.The attendant's face was peppered with lesions, sores, and scabs.His eyes seemed to look everywhere but at me; and his breath reeked of tobacco and alcohol.

I wish I had a gas mask.

"Yes, could I get a fill up on pump number three?" I asked.

"Will that be cash er charge, miss?" He questioned. His voice was so shrill and disgusting that I wanted to close my ears. But, that would have meant reading his lips, which would involve looking at him. So, since I didn't feel like puking I endured his hawk squawk voice.

"That'll be fifteen dollars, miss." He said.

I gave him a twenty.

He went to the teller to ring up the purchase.

As I waited I looked outside and saw a hot pink Mustang pull up behind my car.

That car is cute. I thought. It was an older model, and the paint job looked fresh. I'm sure that it must have cost the owner a fortune.

Once the car parked the driver got out. It was a young woman. The first thing I noticed about her was her red hair. She was absolutely gorgeous. She did not look like she was from this part of the state, that was for damn sure.

The girl was dressed in a hot pink bodysuit, Well, I can tell someone likes pink. Her skin was like porcelain. There was something very angelic and doll like about her. She looked fantastic and judging by her demeanor—and strut— she knew it.The red head opened the door and got in line behind me. I turned and smiled. She returned the gesture.

"Alright mam, here's your change. You have a nice day, ya hear?" The attendant said.

I smiled, "You too. Thank you." I left.

I went to my car and removed the pump. The beautiful redhead came out after me and filled her car up as well. After I was done I put the pump backon the machineandhoppedin my car. I left just as quickly.

I pulled into the La Chica's motel at around 10:00 that evening. I was tired as hell and ready to call it a day. I had survived two assassination attempts, within the span of five days. So far I was batting a thousand.

What really pissed me off was that Beatrix was cowardly enough to have her hired goons come after me. She didn't have the guts to do it herself, fucking bitch. Then again, she probably had no idea it was me.Atleast I still had the element of surprise.

The motel decor was lovely. It was more up to date and contemporary than the Lonestar Lodge. The furniture and decor was all white. It looked immaculate, almost like you could eat off the floor. I walked into the lobby and approached the front counter.

Behind it sat a very pretty lady with flowing jet black hair. In my opinion she was too beautiful to be working in a motel. Her features were elegant, almost classic. And her ebony black hair was a gorgeous contrast to her milk white skin. She was dressed in a navy blue blazer and white button down shirt. A name tag was pinned to her left lapel. It read "Sidney."

"Good evening, may I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, I would like a room for the night." I replied.

"Well, you're in luck. We have several vacancies." She stood up from her desk and walked towards the front desk computer. She was so graceful and elegant. Although her gait seemed agile and free she still managed to move like a prim and proper lady. Sidney began to punch in several keys on her computer, "Would you like a room on the first, second, or third floor?"

I decided to look out for my best interests. If I needed to dash out in the middle of the night I wanted to be near my car, "first."

"Great." she said, "What is your name, ma'am?"

"Chastity Pryor." I said, as I removed my identification.

She took the I.D. and examined it. She looked up at me and glanced at the I.D, again. Her lips curled into a smile.

I froze. I thought I was busted.

"Okay Ms. Pryor. I have booked you for room twenty, on the first floor. How long will you be staying with us?"

"Just for the night." I breathed a sigh of relief, "How much?"

"$100 dollars."

I handed her the cash and took my room key.

"Have a good evening..." she said.

I opened the door to my room and dropped my bag, and sword, to the floor. I plopped down on the matress closest to me. My body was aching from the bumps and bruises of my previous altercations; however, the sheer exhaustion overtook me and I fell fast asleep.

When I finally woke up It was five o'clock in the morning. I had been out cold for seven hours. Not that I was complaining. That was a damn good nap(some of the best sleep that I've ever had), and I felt completely refreshed afterwards. I unpacked some of my clothes and headed towards the bathroom. The bathroom was very lovely. It looked like a woman had decorated it, all pastels and lace. I felt very comfortable. I went to the sink and quickly turned on the faucet. I doused my skin with cool water. I took off my clothes and examined the bruises upon my naked body. Some of them were purple in color, and very sore. I touched them and instantly recoiled. The wounds were superficial, but still tender.

For some odd reason it prompted a smile. True, I had the bruises, but the one that put them on me was dead. And if anyone else tried to come after they would be dead too. The more fights I had the more comfortable I grew in my own skills.

I went over to the porcelain shower and turned on the hot water. I stepped in and let the warm beads rain on me. It had been days since I felt that relaxed.

After I was done soaking I moisturized my body with some of the condiments in my motel room. The owners were not cheap, that was for sure. They had Bath and Body oils, and perfumes from Victoria's secret. I was in total girl heaven. After I was done I combed my hair and fixed it into a ponytail. I decided to go casual comfy on my way out. I put on my red and white Nike hoodie, with my black jeans, and Nike Cortez sneakers.

My face was a little bruised from my fight with "Tex," however it was nothing a little concealer couldn't handle. I picked up my bag, and sword, and proceeded to drop off my room key. I figured I had been in one place long enough.

As I walked to my car the night was eerily silent. There were hardly any other residents there that particular night. I guess it was because the La Chica hotel was out in the middle of nowhere Texas. I relaxed a little.

Val waited patiently atop the two story motel building. Patience, that was a virtue Val took great pride in. Most people her age had little to none of it. It was the most vital requirement in her line of work. Sometimes the job called for hours upon hours of waiting. It only took a split second to make the kill; but, sometimes an operative had to wait days, in one place, before the oppurtunity would even present itself.

Fortunately, for Val, she only had to wait a few hours...

"So, the little mongoose has decided to leave her hole..." Val whispered, as she wet her lips. She aimed the assault rifle at the lone figure emerging from the motel bedroom. Val pressed the scope to her right eye and steadied her hand. There was a full clip inside the rifle. If she was lucky all it would take was one bullet to the skull. Valentine aimed the scope at her target's head. She clicked on the red laser pointer and placed it right on the woman's temple.

"Gotcha." Val said. She pulled the trigger...

With my bag and Hattori Honzo sword in hand, I was packing a full load of stuff. I fumbled to get the keys out of my pockets, while trying to keep from putting everything else down. My keys fell to the ground anyway.

"Shit." I mumbled, as I knelt over to pick them up.

The moment I bent over to grab my keys I felt something buzz by my ear. Then the car window shattered. It was a bullet!

I had been followed. I tried not to panick. I looked around to see where the bullet came from. By then it was too late. The shooter started unloading on me! The bullets were silent. I knew I was dealing with another assassin. I quickly ran to the otherside of my car as I felt it pulverized by the onslaught of projectiles. I grabbed my sword and ran back to my room. The shooting ceased for a moment. Until, a young woman, who was staying in the motel, peeped outside her door to see what was going on...

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Get down!" I demanded.

"Why--" before she could utter another word she caught a bullet in the chest! I dove behind a large potted plant that was just as quickly decimated by another flurry of bullets. I was wide open again. I ran back to my car. It was totaled, but it was the only place I could hide at the time.

"Fuck!" Val hissed. She wanted to get her down in one shot.That chance eluded her. I'll just go for broke. Val stood up from her lofty perch and unloaded the rifle. Her target was incredibly fast. Valentine sprayed the car with bullets. The young woman fled back to her hotel room as Val continued shooting. Then a confused young woman opened her door...

Can't have that, deary. She aimed, fired, and shot the hapless bystander. The woman fell to the ground, dead.

Mongoose dove behind a large potted plant and Valentine fired again. She shot the huge plant pot to pieces. Her target was still moving! Stay still you bitch!

Mongoose ran behind the bullet riddled car again. Val fired again. Click. She pulled the trigger. Click. Nothing. Fuck, I'm out of ammo. She dropped the gun. Val spied Mongoose cowering behind the decimated Honda.

I'll have to go with option B now.

Val removed her sais from her duffle bag. She turned around and descended the staircase.

What in the hell am I going to do about this car?

My pretty red rent-a-car had been totaled. It looked like a pile of swiss cheese. More than likely I was gonna have to pay extra for damages. Then again, who was I kidding. I had no intention of returning it.

Right now, my mind was on the fucker who was trying to snipe me from the roof. Whoever it was, he or she, was lousy shot. I unsheathed my sword and hid behind the car. Suddenly, the shooting ceased. I stayed crouched. That was when I heard footsteps coming toward me. Sweat began to trickle down my forehead. The steps got closer. I gripped the handle on my sword even tighter. My adversary was getting closer.

"Stop right where you are!" I demanded.

The footsteps halted.

I slowly stood up and came face to face with my assailant. I surpressed a laugh.

"Why am I not surprised that it's you?" The irony of the situation struck me like a ton of bricks. It was the red head, with a large sai in either hand. I never even suspected her.

"Because, I'm that good, sweetie." She replied.

I slowly lowered my sword. She did the same.

"So, I guess I don't have to ask whether or not you're here to kill me, right?"

"Nope..." She blew a bubble and popped her gum.

"Well, before we start fighting, I just wanted to tell you that your outfit is cute. Where did you get it from?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"Thank you. I got this from a boutique on Rodeo drive, in Beverly Hills, over the summer." She replied, "Y'know, you're really gorgeous, but you cannot accesorize or dress for shit. You look like you shop at Goodwill."

"Why thank you." I said, sarcastically.

"You could try ditching all the black and sports clothes for something a little more colorful and vibrant. Plus, that foundation is all wrong for your complexion. If you weren't so pretty I'd think you were a butch lesbian."

"Look whose talking Ms, "I get my make-up done by Crayola." You look like a cheap floozy with all of that crap on your face. How do you get it off, with a spatula?" I asked.

"I know you didn't?"

"Yes I did...Plus, you use too much lip liner. Newsflash sweetie, it does not make your lips look bigger. I'm surprised you didn't get some collagen to go with that boob job."

"Well, atleast I am not some fugly, poor man's, wannabee Halle Berry looking slut!"

"And, atleast I am not some overly painted, fake tit having, skanky, bozo the clown, painted hussy!"

Suddenly, there was dead silence. Her face turned beet red. I knew it was on.

She hoisted up her sais. I raised my sword.

"So, who did you have to fuck to get that Honzo sword?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I won't. What's your name?" She asked.

"Nikkia." I said. One of us was going to die. I didn't see any reason to lie,

"Why do you need to know?"

"Just because. I keep a journal of my victims, as a memento..." Her lips curled into a devilish smile,

"Oh, I'm Valentine by the way."

"Nice meeting you, Val."

"Oh, the pleasure is all yours. I just feel bad that you're gonna have to die in that outfit."

No sooner than those words were uttered did Val come hurtling towards me like a bullet! She lept over the car and roundhouse kicked me in the face. I literally did a 360 degree turn, as my sword went clanging to the ground. I ended up on the cement, and Val started twirling the sais like a majorette from hell. I dodged both of her attempts to stab me, but just barely.

Goddamn she is fast!

I struggled to get out of her way. I had to get to my sword, but Val kicked it out of my reach.

My plan wasto knock her off balance if I was ever going to get a shot in. I dodged another attack, and believe me it was hard. The bitch was relentless. I hit her with a sweep kick that sent her flailing. But, before Val even hit the ground she did a summersault and came back at me like nothing had even happened! Thankfully I had managed to get my sword.

Val came at me again with her sai attack, but this time I was able to defend myself appropriately. I tried to cut her, but she was hummingbird quick. Every manuever I attempted ended up slicing through air. She was like one of those damned agents in The Matrix.

"Is that all you have? Well, this is going to be easier than I thought!" Val laughed.

I attacked her again. I tried to strike her with a blow to the head, but she caught my sword in the prongs of her sais!

Oh shit! I thought, remembering the limo driver in Tokyo.

Val smiled. She did a 180 and snatched the sword from my hands! Then she kicked me in the stomach! I went flying across the pavement. I got back up. Val threw one of her sais at me! I tried to dodge it but, "Argh!" I scream, as the pointed edge grazed my upper left thigh!

For the first time my confidence began to wane. I wanted to scream for help, but we were in the middle of nowhere. More than likely, all of the hotel employees were gone. I picked the sai up and hurled it into the bushes.

Suddenly, Val tucked and came at me with three amazingly acrobatic summersaults! Before I even realized it she had wrapped her legs around my neck and thrown me. I felt the worldspinning from under me. I tucked myself into the fetal position so I could break my fall.

I was getting my ass kicked. But, I was not going down to this skanky ho without a fight!

Val was going for her other sai. I ran over to her and drop kicked her in the back. She dropped the other one, but quickly caught her balance and whirled around. The minute Val turned around I hit her in the face with five straight punches!

"You bitch!" She screamed, as her nose started to bleed.

Val lept into the air and hit me with an aerial combo! But I caught her foot and threw her to the ground.I tried to stomp her, but she blocked me with her elbows. She followed with a straight kick to my chin that made me spit another wad of blood.

Val sprung back to her feet and started punching the living hell out of me! She was so fucking fast and strong that it was unbelieveable! I was starting to see stars. I don't know how many times I got hit, but it felt like a thousand times in under a second! I swung at her, but my punch hit nothing but air. Val did a flying spin kick and sent me crashing to the ground. I could not get up. If this were a professional boxing match I would have been KO'd.

Suddenly, Val came back with my Honzo sword, an evil smile on her face,

"Now, who looks like shit, Mongoose?" She laughed, "It's only fitting that you die by your own sword!"

Val hoisted the sword above her head.

I knew I was dead. The only people I could think about were DeeDee, Kenny, and My mother. I had failed her.

KABOOM!

It was a gunshot blast. Val screamed insanely loud!

"You bitch, you shot me in my fuckin tit!" Val yelled, "Do you know how much this cost me! 20,000 fucking dollars!"

I could not see behind me, because my eyes were starting to shut from being blackened.

"Drop the sword..." A familiar female voice said.

"I'll drop it..." Val said, "In your fucking heart!" Val forgot all about me and went running towards whoever shot her.

KABOOM!

Val went flying backwards, landing next to me. Her entire face was blown off.

I heard the click of heals walking towards me. I strained to open my bruised eyes. The figure was blurry, but I recognized her instantly, "Sidney?" It was the motel attendant.

She knelt down next to me...

"Don't move, you'll be fine, Nikki." She said.

I was shocked, even in my battered state, "Wait a minute...Who are you?"

"My name is Sofie." she said, "Sofie Fatale."

I passed out.

To Be Continued.