A/N: Oh, Madame's getting to be a pro at this updating malarkey, don't you think? Thank you again to everyone who's reviewing, I want your e-babies.

Chapter 28: Trial

By the time I open my eyes the next morning, Hwoarang's already up and crunching on toast as he watches the small television from his chair. I sit up in bed, rubbing my face and giving a little yawn. Hwoarang grins at me.

"It's still morning, Xiao. Don't tell me you're planning on getting up already."

I grunt at him, it's too early to think up a good comeback. Besides, I don't really want to get up. I want to curl up and sleep some more, but I've got my third match this afternoon, so I can't. It's gonna be my first match without Hwoarang there watching; his fight clashes with mine. So this means I've got no one in my corner this time. There's no point even thinking about Jin turning up.

"Are you always like this when you've just woken up? I'll have to remember that."

And I actually blush at the idea. Oh dear God above. My taste in men sucks.

"Where'd you get the toast?" I ask. My stomach's begging for something other than crisps.

"Ordered room service." He says lightly. "You want some?"

"Mm."

He hands me a plate with two slices, and I butter absently, listening to the cartoons he's watching and trying not to think about anything other than my toast.

"Who are you fighting today?" Hwo asks.

"Gun Jack. He's slow. It'll be a cinch."

"That's what I like to hear." He winks at me and turns back the television.

It turns out that I was wrong to think that there'd be no one in my corner during my match. Lei Wulong is standing in the crowd, and he smiles encouragingly at me before my battle begins. That calms my jangling nerves a little, knowing that there's a caring presence among the spectators. But I'm in no way worried about this battle anyway. I've seen Gun Jack fight before, and he's the slowest competitor bar none. There's no way he can keep up with me.

Although when I stand in front of him, and he's motionless, those dead eyes fixed on mine, it does unnerve me a tad.

He throws a few clumsy punches to warm up, and I jump once, twice, and then settle into my fighting stance. The bell sounds, signalling the beginning of the battle, and I immediately cartwheel to the left, grabbing the robot by the arm just as he's moving to face me. I use all my strength to overbalance him (there's no way I can physically throw him to the ground) and he falls to the floor with a teeth-rattling crash. I waste no time in working my advantage and turn my back, kicking him as he rises. I admit, against the odds, I did expect him to be propelled into the air as a normal opponent would be, but my attack doesn't even knock him off his feet. Luckily though, I'm able to spin out of the way of his slow counter punch. I jump into the air and roundhouse him, back flipping away as soon as I land. Heh, this thing is way too slow. But it doesn't half hurt to hit him. He lumbers forward, grabbing for me, but I easily dodge his hands and drop down into my Phoenix Stance, landing two low kicks and then rising into a third, high kick, dodging his second attempt at grabbing me with those huge hands by jumping backwards.

Gun Jack trains his eyes on me and spreads his arms, and as I watch, curious, he lifts off the ground, rising into the air. I shield my eyes from the glare of the sun, squinting into the sky to look for him.

Nice tactic, big guy.

I turn around, searching for him, but there's no sign. How the hell is he camouflaging himself? He's a massive hulk, hardly inconspicuous! As I stare up into the sun, blinking rapidly, the robot suddenly appears above me, dropping out of the sky like a stone. For a moment, I'm completely frozen, gazing in horror at the soles of his massive feet as they rush down towards me. I can almost feel the tremendous weight pressing down on me before it comes, feel the agony as I'm crushed underneath this huge mass of metal. If it got me just right, it would kill me, no question.

"Xiao, get out of the way!"

The voice is male, familiar, laced with panic, and it wrenches me out of my trance. I catapult myself backwards - and the robot's falling body grazes mine. Too damned close.

The impact of Gun Jack's feet on the ground rattles through my head. I could have been under those feet. I'm not as sure of myself anymore, not by a long chalk.

His eyes glow with a red light as he advances on me again. He's still as slow as he was before, I reason. Yeah, it was a close shave, but there's no need to dwell on it right now. There'll be plenty of time for that later.

I square up to him, trying to shake off my fear and focus on the fight. Gun Jack makes the first move this time, throwing yet another slow punch at me, one that I deftly avoid by spinning out of his reach. As I spin, I can see him turning out of the corner of my eye. He topples forward in a body slam, one that would most likely have crushed me if I hadn't have managed to leap away in time. I can hear a mechanical whirring as he gets up from the ground, and I take the opportunity to land a few good kicks to his head.

I was counting on them having more of an effect than they did, though. The robot sweeps my legs out from under me with his hand, like a bear hunting in a stream, and I cry out as he follows up with a none too graceful but all too effective punch to my ribs. I think I felt something crack. The pain is excruciating, and it's all I can do to keep from screaming as my back hits concrete. Gun Jack crosses his arms, bending his knees and performing a Russian-looking victory dance. I bristle at his presumption. It's not over. It's only when his metal foot connects with my injured side that I realise it isn't a victory dance. It's an attack. Tears sting my eyes as I struggle to roll out of the way, my chest screaming in agony at every blow. I scramble to my feet, backing away from the robot and ignoring the blood streaming from the grazes on my arms and legs that I got in my haste to get away. I'd rather have grazes than shattered bones any day. I'm tired and in pain, but I take up my fighting stance once more as he moves closer.

It's not over. Not until I say so.

Gun Jack brings his arms down in an overhead slam. I sidestep and crescent kick, smirking in grim satisfaction when it connects.

I'm not gonna let some soulless machine beat me.

He tries to backhand me with those massive fists, and I dodge under them, sweeping his legs and overbalancing him. He crashes gracelessly to the ground, and I back up and take a run at him, leaping into a cross chop that collides with his chest as he's getting up. My attack overbalances him once more, and I grab onto him as he falls and sit astride him, showering punches on his face and head. He could easily sit up and throw me off, but there must be something wrong with his internal mechanisms as a result of all my attacks. There's a metallic grinding that doesn't sound too healthy, and I get off him and back away as his arms fall limply to his sides and those red eyes slowly dull to black.

The bell sounds.

"Ling Xiaoyu wins!"

I manage a smile as Lei comes over to congratulate me, clutching my aching side.