Chapter one
The cab of the taxi was quiet. Kasumi looked from the driver's' dark gray cap to the endless dark highway rushing by. It was her first time in the United States and the miles of unfamiliar land were astonishing. She clutched the letter in her hand rereading the address. She couldn't relax. Even after leaving Japan months ago the Mugen Tenshin still hunted her after she dishonored the clan. It didn't matter that she was successful in her avenging her brother or that she fled her home country. The attacks on her life became exceedingly frequent. It was clear they didn't want her reaching DOATEC.
The taxi continued to speed down the highway. They were thirty minutes out of the last town they passed. The driver puffed on an electronic cigarette that smelled faintly of vanilla. Kasumi sat back in her seat listening to hum of the tires on the road. Her ears perked up at the sound of a slight thump from the roof of the cab. She looked ahead and saw the eyes of the driver watch her through the rear view mirror. Shifting up in her seat Kasumi listened carefully. She heard the thump again. The assassins were back.
Kasumi tried the handle to the door. Locked. Kasumi glanced back at the driver. His eyes squinted back dangerously. It was a familiar look. One she had seen many times. She fumbled with the lock and the window controls. When they didn't work adrenalin surged through her. With a supported arm she elbowed the window. The tempered glass spider webbed into thin cracks. Kasumi sent glass crumbling with another solid jab.
She pulled herself out the window and on top of the cab in one swift movement. She braced herself against the harsh wind. Two black clad ninja were crouched on top of the vehicle. She didn't hesitate kicking her leg out in a low sweep. The first ninja jumped over her leg with ease, but she caught the second assassins shin. He stumbled and nearly slipped off the speeding taxi. Kasumi dodged and blocked several blows from the standing opponent, but before the second ninja regained his footing Kasumi sent him flying off the back of the taxi with a swift kick to the face.
Kasumi was about to dispatch the last ninja just as the taxi began to swerve violently. To keep from being flung from the top of the vehicle, Kasumi crouched down and gripped the top of the window with her fingertips. Her attacker did the same. They glared into each other's eyes. Kasumi attempted to identify the person behind the black mask. It was a ninja from her own clan no doubt.
The taxi veered off the road. Kasumi jumped off the car, disappearing into the air just as the driver rolled out of the open car door. Several yards ahead she heard the sickening crash of metal against a tree. Kasumi sprinted with incredible speed along the road. She was almost there. The assassins wouldn't dare attack her on DOATEC property, would they? Kasumi pushed herself to her limit and the landscape began to blur around her. She could see lights ahead. Some type of building. It was still too far.
The sound of metal whistled past her. She silently cursed them for pursuing this fight. They were only two strong, possibly three if the one she kicked off the cab returned. She had regrettably killed the last three assassins that pursued her. The list kept growing along with Kasumi's guilt. She continued running, dodging the shurikens the best she could. She was confident she would lose them soon.
The structure became more clear as she got closer, but it was still small lights in the distance. The shurikens stopped flying as she gained distance from her attackers. She smiled with satisfaction, but the smile didn't last long as several ninja began to flip out of trees onto the empty road ahead. Kasumi slowed her break neck speed as even more black figures appeared out of the darkness. There had never been this many. Nearly a dozen stood strong between her and her destination. She heard more behind her.
Kasumi slowed to a stop and pulled herself into a relaxed fighting stance, refusing to show weakness. She may have been the best of the best in her clan, but she knew death when she saw it. And it stood in front of her.
All the things she was never able to do raced through her mind. She could see her brother, Hayate, stubborn, but lost and confused. She was convinced that if she could talk to him without members of the clan or Ayane constantly clouding his freshly wiped mind than she could get through to him. She knew the real Hayate would never abandon her. That was why she had to make it to DOATEC, it was her only chance. Kasumi looked at the building, not so far off, with the resigned sadness that she would never make it. She would die an outcast. A disappointment to her family.
She let her instincts take over so she no longer had to feel the overwhelming grief growing inside her. She calculated that she could take out around a third of the assassins that pressed towards her. She may as well make a game out of it. She wouldn't give up without a fight.
Kasumi burst into motion, catching the closest ninjas with her deadly katana. She jumped, dodged, and danced around on top of the blurred figures that whipped limb and weapon at her. One by one they dropped to the ground. She felt their blades lick her skin. Well placed kicks and punches sent her stumbling. She felt like a rag doll as she spun one way and then another. Her blade worked its own magic as she was caught in the tide of ninjas. The katana tore and connected with new flesh on every side. But for every time it hit its mark, she had to dodge a new attack or take a hit.
Bodies didn't stop dropping, but Kasumi barely noticed.
A rumbling and a pounding bass approached from far away. Kasumi didn't notice that either.
Blaring headlights appeared in the distance. The fighting continued. Kasumi was hit again.
A large vehicle roared with speed down the highway. Kasumi and the other ninja finally heard a loud stereo pumping music. The fight lost momentum. Bright headlights found the fight and some ninja jumped away habitually. Kasumi used the opportunity to her advantage and regained her stance while taking down a hefty ninja.
A truck horn blared, before the large vehicle began to slow. Kasumi pushed the fight further. Ignoring the long drawn-out truck horn. She flurried again. The truck finally slammed on its brakes and skid several yards before swinging to the left to a complete stop. The passenger door burst open as a black bearded man, a head taller than the tallest ninja and about three times as thick, jumped out of the monster sized glossy black truck.
Even Kasumi spared a glance at the man. Kasumi recognized his black leather vest right away. Bass Armstrong. He cried out as he charged the nearest and clearly shocked ninja. The ninja was down in a second. Bass swept two other ninjas away from the fight with his massive arm. Kasumi took down another. A tall shapely blond woman joined the fight, pulling the feet out from under one of the ninja. It could be no one else but, Bass's daughter, Tina.
Between the three of them the ninja thinned quickly and the few that remained dispersed shortly after.
Kasumi stood, ragged from the fight, in the middle of the road; her red hair streaming down her shoulders and back.
"You saved my life." She said, hardly daring to believe it.
"DOA's first champion? I couldn't stand by and let you die without the chance to beat you in honorable combat!" Bass bellowed. He laughed. Kasumi wiped the confused look off her face and bowed her head to him.
"Come on!" Tina Armstrong said, her hands on her hips. "We don't have all night to stop and help every damsel in distress." Kasumi looked at the huge truck. She was about as tall as the hood and there was a hefty motorcycle in the bed of the truck, strapped in safely. "You can ride the rest of the way with us." Tina said as she pulled herself up into the driver's seat.
Not wanting to be disrespectful, Kasumi hopped less than gracefully into the truck, her muscles protesting, cuts stinging and wounds aching. She quickly slid to the middle seat as Bass climbed in after her, the truck actually heaving with his weight.
Tina turned the key and music blared. Bass propped his feet up on the dashboard, leaned back his seat, and slid his sunglasses on even though it was dark outside. The truck had a new car smell, though Kasumi could also smell a hint of alcohol.
Tina hit the gas and accelerated to a speed that made even Kasumi nervous. Kasumi flinched as they narrowly missed a rabbit darting across the road.
Thanks for reading everyone! I hope you enjoy the story.