Chapter Seven

That nights fight lasted over twice as long as the other two. Their opponents were Bayman and Christie. Kasumi took a crippling hit from Bayman that nearly took her out of the match. Bayman was dispatched by Hayabusa's Izuna Otoshi or The Izuna Drop. One of the only maneuvers that truely terrified Kasumi. In all her fights with Hayabusa she had never been on the receiving end of it, but watching someone be thrown in the air and being twisted headfirst into the ground was more than enough. Whenever she was put up to fight against Hayabusa, that fear played in the back of her mind.

Christie really stepped up her game after losing Bayman. She countered nearly all the moves Hayabusa threw at her. She finally knocked him out with a particularly vicious counter, landing on his neck. Kasumi was up, they were both in bad shape. Kasumi could only tell because Christie was favoring her normally dominate leg.

"Wasn't sure if you would make it tonight." Christie said, taunting her. "It's not everyday you see a ninja cry." Kasumi's face burned as she sensed the eyes that watched the match shift from Christie to her. "How's your right arm? It looks like Bayman messed it up good."

Adrenalin pumped through Kasumi and she itched to make the first hit, but she didn't. She knew that was what Christie was waiting for. Christie circled Kasumi. Christie finally gave in and approached with a left hand punch. Kasumi spun and appeared behind Christie, sweeping her leg out low almost toppling Christie. Christie turned to face her head on and hit Kasumis right arm and slide through her defenses. Kasumi saw stars. In fact she was having trouble seeing at all.

Kasumi knew another hit from Christie would take her down. She moved quickly while Christie still recovered from the attack. Kasumi jumped into a high forward flip and landed on Christie's shoulders facing her. Christie was stunned for a moment, trying to balance the new weight on top of her, blinded by Kasumi. Kasumi threw her weight back, throwing Christie over her her body with the momentum. Christie hit the ground hard. Kasumi rolled back onto her feet fighting to keep conscious. Christie didn't get up.

'K.O.' the screen flashed. Kasumi waited as the medics intervened. One of them set her right arm bone in place while two other injected her with two different syringes. The pain turned to sweet relief.

Dinner that evening was in the same room they ate opening night. They were served food and drinks while DOATEC representatives on the short stage gave them direction for the tournament that was to begin tomorrow while still managing to be completely vague about what they could expect from the tournament.

Hayabusa had taken his seat with Hayate and Ayane. Kasumi sat at the same table as Christie and Bayman, the opponents they had just beaten earlier. Part of Kasumi was upset with Hayabusa for choosing them over his own partner and questioned everything he had done for her, but the other part just couldn't muster up enough emotion to care anymore. She was drained from earlier and the last several days. Besides she felt great ever since the medics syringed her after the fight.

Christie kept giving Kasumi fleeting glances from across the table which Kasumi ignored. At first Kasumi thought she was upset from the fight earlier, but when Kasumi finally glared back at her Christie bit her bottom lip while giving her a suggestive look.

Kasumi wasn't ignorant to Christie's charms and was very well aware Christie would flirt mercilessly with her victims. But Kasumi didn't think Christie would use the same strategy with her. Bayman seemed unperturbed and was as stone like as ever. Kasumi looked down at her food.

When the dinner and instruction concluded, Kasumi waited until Hayate and the other two were well gone before she stood and left the room. She noticed one of the white suits in the hallway staring at her from the corner of her eye. She paid him no mind, he was hardly the first of the white suits to stare.

Kasumi continued walking down to the wing that had the bedrooms. She arrived to the hallway when she sensed someone following her.

Kasumi turned quickly, but the hall was empty behind her. Kasumi continued, her senses heightened. She stopped at her room and reached for her door card. She couldn't find it, it wasn't in her pocket. She looked around, practically feeling the presence of another person nearby in her bones.

A sound came from the end of the hall. Something falling, a clater, maybe something plastic. Kasumi looked around once more before walking down the hall. A door was ajar. Kasumi nudged it open silently. Nobody was in here. It looked like a utility closet. There was shelving on the right with a handful of cleaning supplies and a stack of papers. A half empty spray bottle lay on the floor. She looked up. A skewed attic entrance.

Suddenly Kasumi felt frightened. She stepped back out of the closet. Someone was trying to lead her somewhere. The bottle and the partially open ceiling tile.

"Kasumi." Purred a husky voice next to her. Kasumi jumped at the presence of Christie who was way too close to her. Kasumi stepped back. Kasumi knew Christie was an assassin, but Kasumi was still unnerved that she was able to get so close without Kasumi noticing her.

"What are you doing?" Kasumi asked taking slow deliberate steps toward her bedroom door. Christie matched her steps, staying within Kasumi's personal space.

"I've been thinking about you a lot Kasumi." Christie said. "You are very strange. Very unique. Not like the others." Kasumi reached her door and fumbled in her pockets for a key once more. Of course it wasn't there, she hadn't found it since the time Hayabusa opened the door for her earlier.

"No, I'm not like the others. I don't like hurting people for fun." Kasumi pressed her back into the wall next to her door as Christie moved closer.

"Your weakness yesterday, but your strength tonight. Your strong legs. Your thighs. Such a unique combination." Christie's long leg found its way between Kasumi's own legs. Close, but not touching. Kasumi was about ready to smack her.

"I'm not interested Christie." Kasumi said firmly, but with nowhere to inch away. Kasumi wasn't ready for a full out fight. She felt good, but was tired. In fact really exhausted all of a sudden. The formula they had given her earlier must have been wearing off.

"Not tonight then." Christie said. She leaned in whispering in Kasumi's ear. "But I'll be ready when you are." Kasumi turned to see Hayabusa approaching. Christie pulled away from Kasumi's ear and smiled at Ryu who looked at the two women and at Christie's positioning between Kasumi. Instinctually Kasumi moved under Ryu's scrutiny, but Kasumi's leg caught on Christie's. Christie moved slowly, like molasses, untrapping Kasumi but dragging out the skin on skin contact between them, Christie's bare leg on Kasumi's.

Hayabusa opened their door and Kasumi slipped away from Christie and followed Hayabusa inside. She waited for him to ask what happened. He didn't. Kasumi took a deep breath.

"I lost my key card." She told him.

"Then get another." Hayabusa said shortly, pulling a pitcher of water from the fridge. Kasumi watched him fill a glass. He seemed upset. No that wasn't right, he seemed like a ninja. Not fully there, but everywhere at the same time.

"Why did you sit with them again?" Kasumi asked. She hadn't planned on asking tonight, but the words found their way out anyway.

"Hayate and Ayane?" Hayabusa responded. "Why wouldn't I?" He looked up at Kasumi as if challenging her with his piercing green eyes. They were cold.

Kasumi was too tired. She said nothing.

** Christie is shaking things up a bit. Thoughts so far?