XIX

In the split second she had before he reached her, Yuffie felt a wave of familiar calm resolution settle over her. While she had no doubt that Yazoo was dangerous, she was also willing to bet that he saw her just at face value and had no idea what she was actually capable of … which brought a fierce, wicked smile to her face as she dropped quickly to the ground, using both hands to support her weight as she swept out with one long leg roundhouse to knock him off his feet. He hit the ground on his back, rolling; Yuffie sprang upright, intending to deliver several well placed kicks, but her opponent had come up into a crouch, with a smile much like her own crossing his face.

"Impressive," he remarked, breathing fast, and came for her again in a rush of silver and black. She twisted aside, catching him at the shoulder and elbow, meaning to execute a throw; he reversed it easily, dipping beneath her arm and spinning behind her back before flipping her to the ground. As he lifted his foot to deliver a blow she scuttled back beyond his reach, getting her feet beneath her and throwing herself at him as he regained his balance.

She smashed into him with enough force to send them both skittering across the length of the sidewalk and into the rough surface of the street. She thrust herself up and away from him, propelling herself to her knees. He had recovered faster, to her dismay, and as she attempted to stand, to leap aside, he caught her firmly by the neck with one outstretched hand. As his fingers tightened she struggled to spit out a long stream of derogatory expletives; her eyes widened as he hoisted her into the air seemingly without exertion, the arm holding her steady and still.

"Quite the little fighter," he said softly, narrowed eyes glinting slightly in the dirty wash of lamplight.

Unable to breathe, Yuffie swung both legs up, striking him hard in the middle of the chest; he stumbled back, releasing her and she landed cat-like on all fours. As she rose to assume another fighting stance he straightened and turned once more to face her.

"That," he growled, "hurt."

"Good," she spat back, massaging at her bruised throat. For a long, tense moment they simply stood, regarding each other, measuring, speculating. When Yuffie made an insolent "come and get it" gesture his answering smile was wolfish, and he complied so quickly he was a blur.

They began to spar in earnest; Yuffie meeting his lunge with a savage elbow to the chest followed by a low kick to the shin; he whirled about with a hiss, catching at her arm and wrenching it behind her back. She dropped to her knees then, the momentum sending him rolling across her back, and as he released her in order to maintain his balance she unleashed a swift and brutal roundhouse upon him. Too late she saw his faltering had been pretence, and moving like quicksilver he caught her by the ankle, halting the kick, and in the next seconds had used his grip as leverage to twist her about and cast he away.

She soared several feet, striking the pavement so hard it drove the wind from her. Trying in vain to get air into her lungs, she watched through hazed vision as Yazoo approached her from the side, and when he stood above her with an unreadable expression she tried to get her body to move in vain. In an effortless folding of limbs he descended, kneeling so that he straddled her body; she swiped at him with one fist but it merely struck him a glancing blow in the shoulder.

"You surprise me," he told her in a quietly amused voice. "You put up a better fight than expected."

"I'm just full of surprises," she wheezed belligerently, lying still as to marshal her strength.

"I can only imagine." He leaned down then, crossing both arms over her chest and resting his chin on them, regarding her with eyes full of both undisguised interest and the shadow of a quiet threat. His manner now sent a shiver of alarm running through her; it was that of a playful cat with a cornered mouse. Surely he'd been sent to kill her –why then this game, this toying?

"What else is there to know about you, little princess?" He asked, his tone gently mocking as her title of heritage passed his lips.

"I'm going to kick your ass," she said with deadly calm.

"Indeed?"

"Get. Off. Of. Me."

"Manners, princess." He chided, shaking his head. Strands of his spider thread hair brushed across her cheek at the movement and she swiped at them angrily with one hand. He lowered his face then until it hovered directly over her own, and when he spoke next his lips brushed hers. "You are intriguing. Not what I expected at all. What else is there, I wonder, to know about you?"

She ignored the veiled, threatening hint in his voice and instead slammed her head hard against his. As he reared back she struck out with the heel of her palm directly to his chin, snapping his head back and causing him to topple off of her with a snarl. Swiftly she came to her feet, wincing at the pain in her ribs from her collision with the pavement; she watched for only a moment as Yazoo, his back to her, got somewhat slowly to his feet before she made the unprecedented decision to do something she'd never done before …

She turned on her heel and fled.

xxx