Sorry because it took me so long to update this, but I've been really busy lately. And I wanted to write this as well as possible because it's one of my favorite chapters. I hope I suceeded and you'll enjoy reading this!

the way of the chosen one

by Ankari 238

4 Facing the Enemy

In spite of the fact that even she was next to blind with the prevalent light conditions, Max ran along the dark corridor as fast as she could. Right here there weren't even windows, through which at least a gentle gleam of light could have come through. So even with her cat genes Max was more like guessing than really seeing the contours of the walls. A normal human probably wouldn't even be able to see the proverbial hand before your very eyes.

Her footsteps echoed muffled and in fast sequence from the blank walls. She'd wake up half Terminal City, but that hadn't any part anymore right now – contrary: it was exactly what she planned to!

She had to get to the Command Centre to set off the alarm and so warn the others. Besides she needed to find out, where and how many the familiars were and what they were intending.

Max wondered how the hell these damn familiars had managed to get into Terminal City unnoticed. All night there were guards positioned at any possible entrances. But were those still alive anyway?

While Max pondered that way, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings that remarkable no more. She knew every centimetre here like the back of her hand. Even in the dark she found her way problem-free. But with what was awaiting her beyond the next bend she hadn't calculated at all …

A brief shadow, only becoming slightly evident in front of the background because it was moving... A gentle breeze. Before Max could react something painfully brushed against her temple and made her stumble back. Her back plenty roughly slammed against something hard, which had to be the wall.

The blow had been badly aimed, but now with her adversary knowing the approximate location of his target the next one was very likely to hit.

Hardly Max had overcome the first surprise about the sudden attack, when she already felt another breeze on her face and even thought to see a hardly recognizable movement right in front of her. A split second before the renewed attack could hit Max she made a skilful dive under the fast approaching fist and a small step aside. A quiet half supressed groaning told her the attacker's hand had chased through her own drive probably met the wall.

That gave Max a little rest.

She reconsidered shortly: As far as she knew there had been no footsteps to be heard, so the attacker was probably still where he had been just a minute ago. With the drive of a turn Max kicked at the spot where she reckoned the rips of the attacker to be hidden in the dark. She was hoping urgently that she wouldn't also end up hitting the wall, but apparently she had underestimated him …

Shortly before her attack could target Max felt her right leg suddenly being grabbed and firmly twisted. Her opponent was going to break it! Instead of trying to free herself she instinctively followed the involuntary movement of her leg, jumped off with her free leg shifting her weight into the hands which were still keeping a firm hold on her other leg and spinned her whole body around in the air. It was pure need which drove her to this daredevil action. Max had no clue if her little trick was going to work. She had to manage to somehow hit her enemy with the free leg and hope he'd relieve the other one then. Otherwise she'd be in trouble!

But luck seemed to be on her side today. Her leg met resistance. A scream. Her opponent's grip loosened and so released her right leg. Max managed to turn in the air as far as possible, before she roughly met the hard concrete. She ignored the pain in her ankles, it would slacken right away anyway. Sometimes it definitely had some advantages to be genetically advanced.

Quickest possible Max struggled to her feet. After all she didn't know when the next attack of her opponent would occur. Simultaneous he seemed to move too, but in the chaos of her and his footsteps Max couldn't make out where the sounds came from.

Then there was silence again. With both Max and her opponent having stumbled back they were out of reach now. The two of them hardly dared to breath, while they were waiting lurking for the other one to make a mistake and so reveal his position. Here where even an X5 could see next to nothing, they had to depend fully on their other senses.

After what seemed to be endless waiting, Max suddenly perceived a slight noise a patch away. With a few fast steps she was there to attack the in the dark hidden opponent once more.

But something was fishy. Yet before her kick hit emptiness Max had a premonition that all was not well: She should have noticed it before: The noise she had heard hadn't been the sound of careful footsteps, but more like something small had hit the ground. And right here there was no one. No movement, not the slightest shadow and though she ought to stand right in front of him now Max couldn't hear any breathing. A trap?

She turned round rapidly to evade the ambush in the last second, but it was already too late. Soon the attacker was behind her and dropped her with a well aimed kick before she could even turn round completely.

But now her three months lasting residence in Manticore finally paid off: As automatically her body rose from the ground through a spin and whirled round in a screw to hit her opponent with an insidious kick. So far for the theory – in practice there was unfortunately a little problem: Max couldn't see her enemy! Hitting him with the kick therefore would be purely luck – something she unfortunately didn't have today.

At least she landed quite impeccable and got back to her feet just in time to repulse her opponent's next punch with her forearm. She seemed to get used to fighting in the dark and her aiming got better and better. But so was her enemy. He for his part dextrously blocked her following kick which had been supposed to hit his knee violently.

Max evaded his next attack through ducking. From this position she was able to pull his feet away.

Even before he hit the ground with a loud crash, Max jumped to her feet and started running. Though the fight had only lasted a few minutes this was wasted time. And Max didn't want to think of what a damage the remaining Familiars could do in this time. She had to warn all inhabitants of Terminal City as fast as possible. And now with her opponent finally being defeated – at least for some time – her promontory should be enough to set off the alarm.

But unfortunately he hadn't come alone... Suddenly a strong arm lay around her throat from behind and relentlessly pressed on it.

"I got him!" yelled the guy cutting her air support.

Max couldn't breath. She bombarded the newly appeared opponent with kicks at his legs, but the fewest stroke him at all. And her attempts to free herself from his irony grip remained too quite unsuccessful. Yet she felt the strength going from her body in the aftermath of the lack of oxygen.

She was just about to start panicking , when the light suddenly flashed on. Blinded Max shut her eyes for a second.

TBC

Note:

I know that's a mean cliffhanger, but you know how you can motivate me to update

soon. (grins)

How did you like the fighting scenes? Did I describe them quite well and in a way so you could imagine everything?