Author's Note: All properties are the rights of their respective owners, Marvel, Respawn Entertainment, etc.

So uh... apparently Saints Row is terrible, which I'm pretty sure everyone saw coming. FFS it looked like the kind of game the old ones would make fun of.

This is the penultimate chapter of this little story, where hopefully everything comes together... because there really isn't time after this. I had a ton of fun with how this went, and hopefully y'all will too. For a title, I had some fun by picking a fun song from a fun band, AC/DC and the track 'Demon Fire' off their most recent album, PWRUP. A fun, rocking track with a great bit of that AC/DC attitude that pervades through all their power chords. So enjoy, and buckle up.

Justice Without Compromise – Chapter 9: Demon Fire

You better look around

Hear that evil sound

Give me no quarter, all drenched in grime, huh

With all the bad intentions

Gonna send you down

Demon fire

Is all you desire

Demon fire

Get closer, fire

Standing at the edge of the subway car, Yuri felt the car slow down as it pulled into her stop and tensed; not knowing what might be waiting for her was taking its toll on the vigilante. Coming back from her meeting with Watson, Yuri felt herself relax each time she got closer to the safe haven of her Hemi 'Cuda, which she would take back to her loft hideout. The possibility of running across one of the 'Sin Eaters' still kept Yuri on alert as she mulled over the last unknown: Who was the fifth man who appeared to be calling the shots?

Thoughts on that came to an abrupt halt when the doors of the subway car opened and Yuri peeked out, checking that the subway platform was free of cops before she emerged. Clutching her purse close, hand at the opening to reach for the Python inside in case the revolver was needed, Watanabe stepped off the train and cut through the meandering people on the platform, making her way to the stairwell that led up to the street, checking over her shoulder to see if she was being followed.

She ducked into a nook and pulled out her phone, looking down at it as she kept an eye on who passed by her as she looked at the news. She was shocked at what she saw, with notifications of the protests that had been going on throughout the day turning violent, and already pictures of wrecked and graffitied store fronts, smashed cars, and even a police officer with a bloodied nose were plastered across the internet. Looking up briefly, Watanabe saw the other people who departed her train pass by until she was alone in the corridor, and she hastily opened the app that allowed her to look at the police net.

As expected, it was near chaos, reports of criminal activity, fires, calls for backup or ambulances, and alerts from the Electric Eye declaring new problem spots. Unsurprisingly, many demonstrations had been declared unlawful assembly and the NYPD was preparing to disperse the crowds. A curfew was soon to go into effect for the entirety of Manhattan. Yuri grimaced, but there wasn't anything she could do about that, already, her focus was on what she should do about the Sin Eaters, but she wasn't so lost she didn't see the text that came from DeWolff. 'Saw what you sent, will have IA start looking into them tomorrow, but they already left for the day. I'll be stuck at the office with how things are going, if you need anything, go to Stan Carter, I've told him to help you.'

Yuri quickly fired off a reply before putting her phone back and continuing to her car, which was parked in a nearby garage, emerging from the subway and onto the city streets that were illuminated by streetlamps as much the setting sun. Watanabe strode down the sidewalks, noting that they were relatively barren, Yuri surmising people were returning home with the imminent curfew. Moving quickly, Watanabe made her way to the parking garage where she had left her car, and ascended to the third level, so relieved at the prospect of returning to safety that she didn't keep an eye on her surroundings. Coming out of the stairwell, she soon arrived at the purple muscle car and pulled out her keys, about to put them in the lock when she heard a voice echo though the structure.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to prosecute a cop?"

Watanabe suppressed the desire to jump out of her shoes, instead turning slowly to see four men on motorcycles in the shadows, all wearing matching police leather jackets, white helmets, and aviator sunglasses. Their faces were impassive, unseen eyes undoubtedly watching her as intently as she was staring at them, taking in the sight of the four men, and the large holsters each man had on his right hip. Nobody went for their weapons, instead staring each other down as Yuri squared up to them and weighed her answer. "You… heroes… have killed a dozen people this week," replied the Wraith as she looked at each of the four men in turn. "What are you going to do next week?"

One of them, she couldn't tell which, shifted on his bike as he leaned closer to the handlebars. "Kill a dozen more," he returned without a hint of remorse.

Yuri couldn't quell the disgust that flashed across her visage, "Is that what you guys are all about? Being heroes?"

"You are our hero, Captain Watanabe," answered a second Sin Eater. His response causing Yuri to flinch, the words striking her like a bullet fired from one of their guns. "You are the one who inspired us to fight. We're simply riding society of killers and scum that would be sentenced if the courts in this city worked properly." To that, Watanabe had no response, and so the killer continued. "We started with the criminals that… that the people know, so that our actions would be understood."

The first one to speak spoke again, picking up where his fellow left off. "It's not a question of… whether to use violence… there simply is no other way," he asserted, shifting once more. "You… of all people… should understand that."

If those words had Yuri's blood boiling, the next ones sent a chill down her spine. "You're either for us or you're against us."

Eyes narrowing, Watanabe didn't even need to think about her response. "I'm afraid you've misjudged me."

All four men frowned as her defiant words hung in the air, Yuri's eyes going from the four Sin Eaters to the concrete pillar she saw a few feet in front of her. One of the four killers shifted on his bike, hand dropping off the handlebars and down to his lap as Yuri began to unsling her purse, revealing the Python inside, her breathing already starting to pick up when a sudden burst of light filled the parking garage. A pair of random SUVs ascended the ramp and made for open parking spaces nearby Yuri's car, and Watanabe could see that each one was full of people.

Looking back at the four killers, and fearing the worst, Watanabe was as relieved as she was shocked to hear the four bikes thrum to life, and the four men depart one after the other. Letting out the breath she had been holding, Yuri watched them go, and once they were around the corner, immediately did a walk around of her car, checking for anything amiss before dropping to the concrete floor and checking for anything in the underbody that didn't belong.

As the people in the SUVs ambled through the parking garage, Yuri was finally satisfied that there wasn't anything unwanted on her Plymouth and sat down inside the muscle car, still breathing heavily. Making haste, Yuri pulled her gun out of the handbag and grabbed the shoulder holster and windbreaker on the backseat, putting them on so she could have the weapon close at hand in case she needed it again.

Mind slowly coming back into focus, the next thing Yuri did was start the car, the big 426 Hemi motor snarling to life, the deep rumble of its exhaust echoing through the garage. Still looking for any reappearance of the Sin Eaters, Yuri fumbled around in her purse until she pulled out her cellphone and dialed DeWolff. The first words from the commissioner's mouth were about what she expected, "What? I'm a bit busy at the moment."

"Listen to me Jean, I just had the four cops confront me. They know we're onto them somehow. You need to get ahold of Early and Carter and tell them I want to meet, Madison Square park, as soon as they can," rattled off Yuri, her voice betraying her anxiety.

"Jesus Christ," breathed DeWolff before a silence filled the line, "Okay, I'll tell them. Watch your back Yuri. I'll be here at 1PP for a while if you need me. And Yuri… finish this."

"I will."

After a long day at the office, Detective Early Smith was thankful that Captain Carter had told him to go home and get some rest, the prospect of sitting on the sofa and kicking his shoes off was very appealing to the young LEO. Coming out of the elevator in his apartment building, Smith strolled through the hallway, munching on the chicken sandwich he had in one hand while using the other to fish the keys out of his pocket.

Upon reaching his door, Early paused his snack long enough to guide the key into his lock and gave it a twist only to find it already was unlocked. His eyebrows shot up, and his mind tried to rewind through the days events to recall if he had forgotten to lock his door that morning. After a moment's thought, Early shrugged; he had been in a rush and it must have been something he missed on his way out.

Pocketing his keys, Early felt his cell buzz in his pocket and pulled it out, seeing who was calling him prompted him to answer immediately. "Commissioner, this is Detective Smith," he said as he fumbled at the door handle with his sandwich filled hand, "What's up?"

Before DeWolff could answer, Early pushed the door open, feeling an odd hint of resistance that he didn't recognize until the tripwire on the other side broke, setting off the explosive it had been attached to. The few ounces of plastique was enough to turn the door into splinters that buried themselves in the lifeless corpse of Detective Early Smith, because the shockwave from the blast had killed him instantly.

Once again, Yuri found herself waiting, fingers idly tapping the steering wheel as she looked out of her car, her surroundings tinted orange by the twilight. Her plan was simple, collect the other people involved in the investigation of the Sin Eaters and get them somewhere safe, probably one of her safehouses, and they could figure out their next move together.

It would also give Yuri a chance to arm up. The idea of confronting four army rangers with just her Python and the knife in her boot wasn't appealing. She had the matching Python stashed in the trunk with her Wraith kit and some spare ammunition, but besides that the only other weapon Yuri had with her was the SPAS-12 shotgun still sitting in the footwell of the back seat.

The sight of a figure approaching had Yuri snap her eyes up, hand slowly reaching for her gun and drawing it as the figure approached the purple Plymouth and stepped off the sidewalk, going around to the passenger side of the car. Leveling her gun, Yuri watched the shape through the tinted windows before the man raised a hand and rapped his knuckles against the glass, prompting Yuri to roll down the window and reveal the bespectacled face of Captain Stanley Carter. His eyes went from Yuri to the gun she held, and he frowned, "I don't like looking down one of those."

Slowly, Watanabe lowered her weapon, holstering it as she hit the toggle switch that unlocked the passenger door with an audible 'thunk.' "Where's Early?" asked the vigilante as Carter struggled to get into the 'Cuda.

"I sent him home and… there was a bomb planted in his apartment. I got the call on my way over that the officer I sent to check on him found his body," revealed Carter.

"Damn," Yuri cursed under her breath, wondering just how these guys knew so much about the investigation.

"We should meet with DeWolff," suggested Carter, and Yuri could hear his nervousness, "No offense, but I don't like being alone with just you."

Yuri thought it over, "Okay," she agreed, a death changed things, and she didn't want to risk that the Sin Eaters knew her safehouses somehow. Twisting the key, the Hemi 'Cuda responded instantly, the big V8 up front causing the whole car to shake as it growled with an anger that Yuri herself felt. With a deft hand, Yuri guided the big Plymouth out of the parallel parking space and onto 5th avenue, merging into the light traffic as she headed south, towards the police headquarters building.

In the passenger seat, Carter was still radiating unease as he reached into his sport coat and pulled out a cloth to clean his glasses, removing his spectacles and wiping them down as Yuri put the car into neutral and glided to a stop at a redlight. No words were exchanged, with Carter still focused on cleaning his glasses until the light turned green, and Yuri eased the 1000 horsepower muscle car forwards once more. It was only once they passed the Flatiron building that Carter seemed to look up, "Turn right up here," he instructed as they approached West 21st. "Get on the ring road," he said, referring to the road that followed the edge of Manhattan Island.

Yuri shot him a confused look, "I thought we were going to 1PP…"

"And avoiding roadblocks to do it," bit back Carter as kept cleaning his eyewear. Yuri begrudgingly complied, turning right and making her way for the western edge of Manhattan as Carter slipped his glass back on and tucked the cloth back in his sport coat. Yuri took her eyes off him, bringing the car around the left turn when she heard a sound from the passenger seat.

Turning back to Carter, Yuri saw that he had produced a gun from a shoulder holster, and even in the dim light of the car, she could tell it was a matte stainless Raging Bull revolver.

Shock surged through Yuri as everything clicked into place. The 'C.C' on Davis' burner phone was 'Captain Carter,' the quiet, unassuming middle-aged man from personnel had been running the Sin Eaters. Carter knew who was involved in the investigation, he had been the one who assigned the young Early Smith to the case, and now he had her at gun point.

As soon as reality set in, Yuri felt her blood run cold, but the rage she felt at the betrayal burned fiercely as she snarled at him, "Your gun's out of its holster, Carter. First time?"

But the man didn't respond to her jab, "You know you're not going to headquarters Watanabe," he replied. "The only way you're gong anywhere is in a rubber bag." Yuri desperately wanted to punch the smugness out of the bastards tone, but her better senses kept her hands on the wheel. "Now, let me have your gun."

Wordlessly, Yuri reached into her shoulder holster and removed the Python, passing it over to the waiting hand of Carter. Despite his obvious discomfort, Carter managed to swing open the cylinder and eject the bullets inside before pitching the empty revolver into the back seat. Yuri grimaced slightly, but tried to keep a straight face as she thought through her options. "Now the shells," ordered Carter. Suppressing a groan, Watanabe grabbed one of the speed loaders from her shoulder holster and offered it to the older man. "Three," he said simply, and it seemed as if had become even more smug, "Your old pals said you always carry three."

Now Yuri couldn't help but let her lip pull back in a snarl as she grabbed the rest of her ammunition to Carter. The middle-aged man tossed the bullets out the open window. "How do you figure on pulling this off, Carter?"

"I run the investigation, with your record I'll be able to make anything stick," he answered confidently.

As much as Yuri wanted to dismiss him out of hand, she couldn't, not when she had underestimated him so much. Jean could very easily do the same. "What I don't understand," she began as she pulled her eyes off the road to look at him, "Is that it's you of all people."

"Because I realized that the balance of power has shifted. For the last fifty years the pendulum has swung between cops and criminals, but not anymore. Now vigilantes are the ones who make the biggest impact, so we follow their example. Your example. Anyone who threatens security will be executed. Evil for evil, retribution, and that's the future Yuri," explained Carter as Yuri kept driving around the ring road. "I'm surprised you don't see it."

"No, I see it all too well," spat Watanabe as she gripped the wheel until her knuckles went white, "Police aren't their own executioners. They aren't there to be the law, just enforce it. A society can reign in the law, but it can't control people, and that's why people can't be the law. Where do you stop, huh? Pretty soon you'll be executing people for jaywalking. And executing people for traffic violations. Then you end up executing your neighbor 'cause his dog pisses on your lawn."

But Carter wasn't fazed by the rebuke. "Just like you do?"

"Bullshit," snapped Watanabe hotly, her rage seething through the curse, "I don't pretend to be anything but a vigilante, and I sure as hell don't say I 'protect the innocent' just before I murder them in cold blood for witnessing what I do!" Yuri took a breath, letting the cabin quiet down, her shouts replaced by the rumble of the Hemi before she spoke again, quieter this time. "Don't bullshit me, Carter. Those high ideas sound good, but they aren't what drive people do pull triggers."

"You're right. Those four rookies all lost someone in the last year, they wanted to make a difference, a real difference. I convinced them this was the best way to do it." Yuri remained silent, and Carter continued, "As for me? For a long time, I thought the pendulum of power would swing away from the police, and back to the criminals. I began working for who I thought would be the winning side, selling information out of my old department… up until I sold Hammerhead your file and saw what happened next."

Yuri felt her heart leap up into her throat, and she turned to glare daggers at Carter. "I saw I was wrong, not about the bloated and feckless system, but about criminals being the ones on top. So I decided to be like you and make my own system, one that gets real results." Venom dripped off every syllable, and Yuri could see the setting sun illuminate his lips as they curled into a wicked grin. "And I started with all the criminals I used to sell to. The problem with you Yuri, is that you won't go far enough," asserted Carter, "You were a great cop, and you are a great vigilante, but you'd rather… what? Stick to the system?"

"Carter, I hate the goddamn system!" Corrected Watanabe, her outburst only tempered by the gun pointed at her. "It's why I went out on my own. But I don't think I'm replacing it. I'm just going to help it along, at least until someone comes up with some changes that make sense."

The bespectacled man's response was to snort, "Nice sentiment, but irrelevant, you're about to become extinct." Seeing Carter turn to look behind them, Yuri looked up in the rearview mirror and saw a white police motorcycle fall in behind her. "Turn left here," instructed Carter as he adjusted the grip on his revolver.

Knowing it was now or never, Yuri pressed the clutch down and pulled the gear stick down to put the car in second gear before wrenching the wheel over and hurling the 4000 pound 'Cuda around the bend. The violent turn threw Carter around the cabin, the older man caught off guard as the gun flailed around, and Yuri's hand snapped out to it, grabbing hold of the gun and slamming Carter's hand down on the dashboard with all the strength she could muster. Straightening the car out, Yuri slammed Carter's hand once more before she saw the motorcycle behind her and stamped her right foot down on the gas.

The 3.0 liter supercharger strapped to the top of the Hemi V8 began spinning furiously, letting out a banshee-esqe shriek as it siphoned off power from the drive shaft to force more air into the Barracuda's beating heart. Despite its bulk, the purple Plymouth plowed forwards, rocketing past the speed limit and leaving the motorcycle far behind for a brief second. Inside the car, the burst of acceleration threw Briggs back into his seat as he tried to pull back from Watanabe's reach, but the Wraith lashed out with a hammer fist strike that struck Carter square on the nose.

A pained scream fille the car as the man brought both hands up to his face, dropping his gun out the still open window in the process. While Carter nursed his wound, Yuri brought both hands back to the wheel to throw the car into a wild right turn, careening around the corner as she slammed on the gas again, the sudden influx of power from the roaring muscle car sending the back end sliding out before the semi slick tires finally found purchase on the asphalt and she shot forwards once again. The sudden maneuver had a second effect, sending the dazed Carter back into her reach, and Watanabe's hand went back to the older man, grabbing hold of his short hair as hard as she could before slamming his face into the dashboard.

Each bash was preceded by a grunt of effort from Watanabe and followed by a scream from Carter, but Yuri felt neither pity nor remorse for the man who had sold her out and gotten so many good people killed, even as blood from his busted nose and split lips splattered on the machined aluminum. The only thing that got her to stop was the sight of a bus pulling out in the intersection in front of her, and Yuri's feet came down on the clutch and breaks as the 14-inch, four piston Brembo brakes brought the car to a halt, tires screaming in protest while the steel glowed a soft orange from the heat, bringing the car from 60 to 0 in under four seconds. This sudden deceleration, along with a final, savage thrust forward, caused a sickening 'crack' to fill the cabin as Carter's nose broke on the radio panel, the man slumping over in his seat as the car came to a stop.

The blow had somehow caused the radio to turn on, and heavy electric guitar sounds began coming out of the blood covered radio.

Thinking fast, Yuri reached over Carter and pulled on the passenger door handle before throwing the big Plymouth into reverse and pressing the gas. Right as the Sin Eater in pursuit rolled alongside the 'Cuda, the purple muscle car shot backwards and past the rogue cop before Yuri yanked on the wheel. Wide front tires twisted over, throwing the front end of the car around and causing the unlatched passenger door to swing open. All Yuri had to do was give Stanley Carter a helpful push, and the man tumbled out of the open door just as Yuri saw two more motorcycles turn onto the road ahead of her.

Snarling, Yuri threw the gear stick back into first and felt the car leap forwards the instant she let off the clutch, the sound of the Hellephant motor up front climbing through the rev range drowned out the hard rock song. Still closing with the oncoming Sin Eaters, Yuri grit her teeth and steered the car around a bend as she shifted up to second gear, the revs dropping down and the radio replacing the roar of the motor. "Demon fire! Is all you desire!" filled the cabin before Yuri got the 'Cuda back in a straight line and put her foot to the floor just as the Sin Eaters rounded the corner behind her.

The NYPD used the Harley Davidson Road King as its highway patrol bike, and they were capable pursuit vehicles, able to go from 0-60 in under five seconds. However, Yuri's resto-mod Hemi 'Cuda, with 1000 horsepower, a nearly equal number of torques, and its drag racing gearbox, was a second faster to sixty, and had the power to push well beyond that without issue. With a squeal of rubber, a wail from the supercharger, and the roar of the Hemi, Yuri opened the gap up once again as she pushed the engine right up to its 6,800 rpm redline.

But the victory was short lived, as the sudden flash of a red and blue light behind her had Yuri cursing, "Come the fuck on!" she screamed as she saw it was the fourth Sin Eater behind her, and he was reeling her in.

After saying a silent prayer for the mostly barren roads due to the curfew, Watanabe jammed the brakes once more, clipping the curb as she wrenched the big 'Cuda around another corner as the radio resumed its assault on her ears. "With all the bad intentions, Gonna send you down, Demon fire!"

One of the bikes shot out of the next street ahead of Yuri, light flashing as Watanabe saw the rider twist himself around, his arm extended as he pointed his gun at her. Reflexively, Yuri tapped the brakes and wrenched the wheel over, juking the gunshot as the echo bounced off the surrounding buildings. "Shit!" exclaimed Watanabe as she pressed the gas, the burst of power kicking the tail of the 'Cuda out, causing her to bleed off all the speed she had built up as she kept the wheel cranked over and drifted around the corner as a wall of tire smoke filled the air behind her.

"Demon fire! Flames burn higher! Demon fire! It's an all-out hellfire!"

A quick shift back down to first had the Hellephant letting out its war cry as the mighty Hemi pulled the muscle car back up to speed, with Yuri weaving through debris left behind by a dispersed riot earlier. While most of her focus was on controlling the 'Cuda, Yuri kept her wits enough to spot the potential safe haven of an open and looted warehouse with its door still wedged open. With a crank of the wheel, Watanabe steered the car into the warehouse, weaving through the trash and columns at a slow speed until she reached the far side and found that the door there was still securely shut. "Oh fuck…" breathed Yuri as she quickly wheeled the muscle car around a column to point back the way she came in only to find that two of the Sin Eaters were already at the doorway.

With the last notes of the song on the radio playing out, Yuri went to the backseat, grabbing the SPAS-12 shotgun and unfolding the perforated stock so the hook brace on the end wrapped around her left arm. Lowering the driver's window, Yuri braced the weapon's receiver on the doorsill, gritted her teeth, and steeled herself. Pressing down on the gas pedal, Yuri felt the car thrum as the engine spooled up past 2,500 revs when she moved her left foot from the clutch and slammed it down on the brake. The 'Cuda jumped forward a foot before the front wheels locked, but the back wheels kept spinning, throwing up clouds of white smoke as the Nitto NT05R drag radials began to heat up to nearly 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the black rubber poised to start dripping off the tires when she finally let off the brake just as the shredding of a guitar came through the radio.

The nearly slick tires dug in and launched the car forwards, bounding towards the startled Sin Eaters as they drew their guns, but they were too slow. Yuri didn't so much aim the shotgun as she just leveled it towards the cop on the left side of the car and fired off a string of shots, the Italian scattergun bucking with each pull of the trigger as it sprayed buckshot across the form of the Sin Eater, throwing him off his bike as Yuri blitzed past.

Speeding down the street, Yuri heard the music that filled the cabin, the song incredibly fitting. "Grinding my teeth, white knuckles grasp at the wheel. I rush from an avalanche of adrenaline, it's all that I feel. As quick as a bolt of lightning, a rocket ride in a bucket seat. It doesn't get any better than this, it just feeds my need for speed."

Ahead of her, a motorcycle charged at her, the flash of a gunshot had Yuri squinting as she closed head on before flicking the wheel with her right hand, sending the nose of the car right to take the Sin Eater down the left side.

"Supercharged, strapped in and screaming! Fire spiting from the pipes. A burnout by the flame throwing fury. 8,000 horses ignite!"

Yuri hammered the trigger as fast as she could, but her timing wasn't quite perfect, and the Sin Eater slipped between the salvos of buckshot and shot past the 'Cuda. "Damn!" snarled Watanabe as she shucked the empty scattergun off her arm and into the backseat. Now with both hands free to drive the car, Yuri now took her right hand from the wheel to the Cueball shifter on the gear stick to put the car in second gear.

"Full throttle, hit the ground running, With a tank full of nitro. And its thirteen-twenty to go to the finish line!"

The time that it took do this shift allowed one of the other Sin Eaters to reel in the 'Cuda as it was stuck at the redline in first gear, and Yuri looked out the open window to see the motorcycle cop pulling in alongside, his revolver drawn. Reacting, Watanabe jammed her foot down on the brake as the Sin Eater fired, the bullet whizzing past her car as Yuri jerked the wheel over and the Plymouth weaved left, slipping in behind the NYPD Harley and slamming her foot down on the throttle.

"My hands hold tight, a fire breathing stampede. I fall into a trance, hold my breath till the light turns green!"

Without hesitation, the Sin Eater plowed straight through the empty streets, and Yuri didn't hesitate to follow. After a few seconds, the Hellephant had hit its stride, and as it climbed in the rev range the 'Cuda ran down the rogue cop. With the shotgun ammo expended, the only weapon Yuri had left was her car, and so she rammed the 4,000 pound muscle into the motorcycle and flicked the wheel.

"In a cloud of nitro methane, melting rubber, I say my prayers. Man and machine, accelerate, and I vanish in thin air!"

The impact rocked the car, metal grinding as the bike was shoved aside and toppled over by the shunt, its rider cartwheeling across the pavement until he slammed into a lamppost. Craning her head around, Yuri saw the body fold around the pole before collapsing to the sidewalk, only for the flashing lights of the other two Sin Eaters to appear behind her and leave her with no choice but to put her foot to the floor. Under the hood, the shrill whine of the supercharger helped to produce the full 1000 horsepower from the 426 cubic inch V8 and pull the car up past 90 mph even as Yuri wove through the small handful of cars that were on the dimly lit streets.

"Supercharged, strapped in and screaming! Fire spiting from the pipes! A burnout by the flame throwing fury! 8,000 horses ignite!"

Spotting the fast approaching Ring Road and last hints of the setting sun across the Hudson, Yuri realized she had somehow gotten turned around in the frantic high speed chase. Reacting more than acting, Watanabe threw the big Plymouth right, letting the tires find grip as she slowed, taking a racing line and going out wide. As soon as she rounded the corner, Yuri's eyes snapped open at the sight of another car coming towards her, and Watanabe flicked the wheel over, putting the Plymouth over the curb, careening down the sidewalk before she wove through the trees planted in the concrete and swerved back onto the street.

"Full throttle, hit the ground running, with a tank full of nitro. And its thirteen-twenty to go to the finish line!"

Looking in the rearview mirror, Yuri could only see one motorcycle in pursuit, but didn't let that slow her down as she put the car up into third gear and kept the accelerator pinned hard down as she charged northwards. Only now the drag racing gearbox was coming back to haunt her, the gearing not allowing her to coax out the top end speed she would need to leave the Sin Eater behind.

Guitar solo blasting through the speakers, Yuri kept the 'Cuda somewhat under control as she careened around the subtly curving road at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour, regardless of what was waiting for her around the bend. A quick glance down told Watanabe she was nearly at the redline, and so she took the risk to shift up into top gear as the road finally straightened out past the Lincoln Tunnel, letting Yuri put all of the Hemi 'Cudas immense power to task.

The car answered the call, rocketing along one of the few roads in the city where it could show off what it could do, putting Yuri well outside the reach of the single Sin Eater two blocks behind her. Despite his falling behind, his companion had been able to close the gap by blitzing down the narrow interior avenues, emerging from Yuri's right just ahead of her. Moving too fast to do anything else, Yuri kept the hammer down and roared past the Sin Eater as he coaxed his bike around the bend and onto the ring road, but he was close enough to send .44 caliber slugs into the trunk of the Plymouth, prompting the woman at the wheel to grit her teeth at each impact.

A sudden kink in the road had her reluctantly easing off the gas, and even applying the brakes as Yuri dropped down a gear, the Hemi burbling while using one hand to coax the 4,000 pound Plymouth through the slalom curves, the modern suspension straining to get the muscle car through the bends. Coming around the corner of a building and back onto the straight, Yuri looked ahead and saw the charred remains of a burned-out city bus sprawled across the street about a mile ahead of her, barriers blocking any way past or, more critically, the ways off the ring road. Unable to go right, Yuri saw a sign, literally, for a tourist attraction, and her best shot.

Going all the way down to second gear, exhaust burbling at the temporary lapse in acceleration, Yuri got the Hemi 'Cuda straightened out and dropped the hammer one last time, rocketing down the straight to get as much distance as she could, shoving the stick shift up to third and letting the acceleration pin her to the seat. Three quarters of a mile later, Yuri was at the entranced to the USS Intrepid Museum, and threw the wheel over, drifting around the corner and down the pier towards the retired aircraft carrier. Braking hard, Yuri whipped the 'Cuda around the welcome center and down past the aircraft parked on the pier until she reached the gangway up to the 27,000 ton warships hanger deck.

With no time to grab the gun in the trunk, Yuri simply yanked her keys out of the ignition and left her car behind as she sprinted up the ramp to take refuge in the Fighting I. Sprinting up the ramp, Yuri heard the motorcycles approaching, the distinct burble of their twin stroke engines as she neared the refuge of the ship. The first gunshots thundered soon after, and Yuri could hear snap of the bullets as they went by her head before ricocheting off the hull of the Intrepid. Gritting her teeth, the woman pushed herself to cover the last few yards and duck inside the hull of the ship, finding herself in the Hanger Deck.

Eyes peering into the darkness of the cavernous space, Yuri's mind raced as she looked for something, anything she could use to turn the tables on the two remaining Sin Eaters. There! Her mind shouted when she saw a big airplane, the wings folded back, and she sprinted to it, clambering up onto the wing and lying still. Reaching down into her boot, Yuri drew the Microtech UTX-70, the small knife was her only remaining weapon; the blade gave a barely audible 'click' as it locked into its extended position.

Peeking over the leading edge of the big wing, Yuri saw the pair of silhouettes at the top of the gangway and felt her blood run cold, her hand silently adjusting its grip on her knife. The two Sin Eaters looked around, each of them pulling out a flashlight, the beams illuminating the hanger before they split up, one heading towards the aft end of the ship, away from Yuri, and the other coming towards her. The beam of the flashlight swept over the hanger, and Watanabe slunk down the depth of the wing, out of the path of the beam as it swept over the airplane she was perched on.

All Yuri could do was wait, listening for the lightest footfalls from the Sin Eater that slowly approached her position. Her breaths became shallow as the steps became clearer, they were coming from her left, going right, and were ahead of her. Quiet as she could, Yuri slipped down the wing, feet barely caressing the floor as she lowered herself to the steel deck. Slinking along the fuselage of the airplane, Yuri came to a stop at the tail of the plane, pressed against the cool metal as she saw the beam of the flashlight wave around the hanger deck before turning back in her direction.

Holding her breath, Yuri's grip tightened on the Microtech until she saw the man's boot, and then slunk back towards the nose of the aircraft, the taildragger arrangement of the landing gear meaning its nose was higher up off the ground. Ducking down low, Yuri slipped under the bulk of the big torpedo bombers fuselage just before the flashlight came around to illuminate where she had just been.

Exhaling softly through her nose, Yuri crept forwards, ducking under the tail of the airplane and peeking out to see the back of the Sin Eater, the beam of his flashlight still panning around the hanger deck. Exhaling slightly through her nose, Yuri slipped out from behind the airplane and made her move, having to take three heart wrenching steps to get within arm's reach of the bigger man. A lightning quick slash of the Microtech across the back of the man's knee drew a pained scream as he tried to turn around, only for his leg to collapse. In his surprise, the vigilante cop dropped his flashlight, the cylinder rolling around until it faced the two fighters. The Sin Eater, with his sunglasses, was unaffected, but Watanabe's eyes screwed shut, breaking up her attack. When she recovered, Yuri slashed the knife back the other way, aiming for the man's arm that was attempting to raise the revolver, and felt the blade dig into human flesh.

Despite his wounds, the Sin Eater struck back, and the Wraith felt a fist ram into her gut, knocking the wind out of her as she ripped the blade free and staggered back, slamming into the tail of the airplane. The metallic clang echoed through the ship as Yuri picked herself up, shaking her head to clear the haze; she went back on the offensive before the Sin Eater could pick himself up. Holding the knife out, Yuri saw the man's head tilt up to look at the blade, and Yuri felt her lip curl up as she lashed out with a kick that struck the Sin Eater in the jaw, sending him sprawling out on the deck beyond the beam of his fallen flashlight. Without hesitation, Watanabe pounced, coming down on top of the Sin Eater and poised to drive her blade into his throat.

Seeing what was about to happen, the rogue cop brought his one good arm up and blocked the blade. Yuri shifted, putting her whole weight over the knife as she slowly won the battle, the tip digging into the skin that stretched over the mans Adam's Apple. He grunted and growled, but Yuri didn't have time to slowly wear the man down, so with a snarl, she rammed her knee into his groin. He let out a pained wail, his focus faltering for a split second, but that was all it took for Yuri to drive the blade into his neck, causing the man to scream as she buried it to the hilt.

The screams turned to pained burbles, but Yuri had no time to relish her victory as the world around her lit up, the flashlight of the other Sin Eater falling on her. Yuri shot up and scampered off, legs and arms pumping as she dove behind a display just as the thunderous report of the Sin Eater's magnum revolver filled the hanger. Taking advantage of her moment of respite, Watanabe caught her breath and took stock of her situation.

Her last weapon, the Microtech knife, was still buried in the Sin Eater laying in the middle of the open. Even worse, Yuri had to move before the Sin Eater found her. Steeling herself, the Wraith was forced the slink away, staying low and in the shadow of the display board she had been hiding behind, covering 15 yards as fast as she dared, keeping her steps quiet until she could duck around a concession stand and watched the beam of the last Sin Eaters flashlight sweep past.

Frantically, Yuri's hands rifled through her pockets, looking for something, anything she could use to turn the tables on the renegade cop. She had no guns, no knives, not even the adhesive straps she sometimes used, the only things she had on her were her keys and cellphone. "Damn…" she cursed lowly, "Think Yuri, think!" she chastised, poking her head out and seeing the lifeless corpse of the Sin Eater she had just killed laying on the deck… and his revolver right beside him reflecting the light from the fallen man's flashlight.

A plan formulated, a longshot of one, but it was the only one Watanabe had, so she hastily unlocked her phone and opened one of the few apps she had, and that was mainly because it had come with the phone. Several quick placed taps and an adjustment to the volume controls completed her preparations, and Yuri waited for the flashlight beam to pass by once more before making her move.

Slipping out from her hiding spot, the Wraith moved like her namesake, slipping her phone behind a display without breaking stride, Yuri kept moving until she was pressed up against the cold steel of the starboard bulkhead. Sticking to the shadows, Watanabe watched the pattern of the flashlight as the Sin Eater drew closer, methodically sweeping through the exhibits. Timing the light, Yuri crept from the bulkhead to a large helicopter, working her way along its length, coming to a stop at the tail of the craft and taking a peek to see where the Sin Eater was.

Her timing could scarcely have been worse however, as the flashlight was sweeping across other side of the helicopter, with Yuri only seeing it as it was scattered by the glass of the cockpit. The spike of panic that shot through Watanabe had her ducking behind the controls fast, too fast.

The sudden movement caught the eye of the Sin Eater, because the light lingered on the cockpit, and Yuri heard rapid, heavy bootfalls as he approached. Scampering back the way she came, Watanabe noticed the light sweep down, illuminating the floor beneath the chopper. Her body acting faster than her mind, Watanabe found that she had stepped up onto one of the tires, balancing precariously on one foot as she kept one hand pressed to the body of the helo.

Hearing more footsteps, Yuri took a risk and stepped down, slipping around the tail of the helicopter just as the Sin Eater came around the nose, Watanabe kept her eyes looking to the floor, watching the way the flashlight moved, relying on her lighter steps to be drowned out by the mans heavier ones, steps she timed to coincide with her own. The deadly game of ring around the rosy, but it wasn't a game she would have to play for much longer.

She didn't have to however, coming back to the nose and turning around, Yuri watched the light come out from the tail and slipped back around the front of the helicopter, crouching down to peer through the transparent canopy. The Sin Eater emerged from behind the tail of the helicopter, flashlight in one hand and revolver in the other, illuminated by the beam.

Just as the muzzle of the big Raging Bull swung around, the sound of the alarm on Yuri's phone filled the hanger, and Yuri could see the flashlight swing to the source of the noise and then move towards it. Knowing her distraction would only buy her so much time, the Wraith swept through the hanger, moving as fast as she dared but still sticking to the shadows as she made her way back to the torpedo bomber and the gun thereby. One last dash had her running her hand over the aluminum skin of the plane just as the beam of the flashlight swept back around the hanger, coming up from behind her.

Gritting her teeth, and with adrenaline pouring through her veins, Watanabe made a break for it, sprinting to the revolver illuminated by the flashlight while trading all semblance of stealth for speed. Sliding across the last few feet of steel, Yuri scooped up the massive hand cannon as she transitioned into a crouch and raised the weapon. Letting out a breath, what came next was muscle memory as Yuri coaxed her hand up the grip to pull the hammer back, the cylinder rotating to bring the next bullet into line with the bore and setting the trigger to fire with a single action pull. She could see the source of the flashlight 40 yards away as it swept onto her, the center of it serving as her target as Yuri settled her sights and squeezed off her shot.

The .44 Magnum kicked like a mule in Watanabe's hand, even the heft of the Raging Bull did little to contain the power of the cartridge it fired, the muzzle flash was just as impressive, spurts of flame shooting up from the ports cut in the top of the barrel's end, using the gas generated by the gun firing to help wrangle the recoil. No part of the sensation of firing the weapon could quite match the deep, reverberating thunder of its report, echoing through the hanger deck of Intrepid and leaving Yuri's ears ringing.

She couldn't see the last Sin Eater, but his flashlight had fallen to the deck, so, now armed and emboldened, Yuri stood picked up the flashlight of the first one she had killed and then advanced cautiously towards where she thought he had been. When the flashlight Yuri held panned over the still body of a man in NYPD blue with a leather jacket and white helmet, only marred by the pool of red the unmoving man lay in, she felt neither pity nor remorse about it. Rather, killing the man with the same type of weapon that had slain countless others, and more than a few innocents, elicited a grim satisfaction from the Wraith.

Grabbing her phone and silencing the alarm, Yuri then looked down at the screen and saw she had a voicemail from Jean. Frowning at how much her friend would lay into her, Yuri turned to head for the exit and let the message play. As expected, the voice of a furious DeWolff poured from the speakers, but the words were anything but expected. "Yuri, I just got a call form Carter. What the fuck is going on? He says you beat the shit out of him and is on his way to meet me, and I'd like to know what for!"

Yuri exchanged the phone for her keys and sprinted back to her 'Cuda, a singular goal running through her mind.

Closing Notes: Alright, this was my favorite chapter to write, a mix of car chase and unique fight scene, along with a few really interesting conversations to finally get the big plot developments revealed. And for those of you wondering, yes, this is inspired by the 1973 classic Magnum Force, it just made sense to have a vigilante ex cop go up against vigilante cops. Hopefully those of you unfamiliar with the film enjoyed my take on the plot, and will consider giving it a watch yourself because it is very good.

For those of you curious, the title song was the first one on the radio, and the second was the aptly titled 1320' by Megadeth, which barely edged out 502. Still, it was just a bit of fun to do, and despite using songs for chapter titles I don't include them in the chapters themselves so doing so here was a good challenge. Anther note, setting up the SPAS-12 earlier was just for it to be used in its drive by capacity here, which is another one of the cool quirks of that gun.

Even with all that, there's still one more chapter left.

So I'll be back in two weeks with the finale... And Justice For All.

Stay Frosty, Misfit Delta out.