Kindred Spirits
Chapter Sixteen: The Gauntlet
~ o ~
I stirred from my slumber, feeling a slight headache coming on. I opened my eyes to see that the sun had already risen. I then looked to the end table next to me to see that it was 8 AM. I sighed deeply; I really would've liked to sleep in...but my body's internal clock still hadn't fallen out of habit from my days with Talon. I then tried to move, only to realize that strong arms were wrapped around my waist. I then smiled to myself as I looked back to see that Aiden was still sleeping soundly. Unlike before...this was no dream. We actually went on a date last night...we had a lot of fun together and even got drunk. He also confessed his feelings for me...something that he probably had to have been thinking about for at least a month.
He probably didn't think for a second that I would accept him...but how could I say know after all that's happened?
We went through hell together. We dealt Talon several huge blows and now here we were, finally able to live somewhat in peace. The only thing left to do was to take Oscar down...
My PDA vibrating broke me from my thoughts. I carefully removed myself from Aiden's embrace, somehow managing not to wake him up in the process as I turned on the device.
"...A message from Reyes?"
I opened the email and began to read.
Not sure if you'll be getting this but a reliable source informed me that your rifle is being offered as a prize to anyone who can win the gauntlet at the Nine Dragons underground arena.
Thought you should know...seeing as you've spent a great deal of your time taking care of that thing, not to mention it being one of a kind.
I'm not sure how you intend to get it back; I'd imagine that a lot of assassins from Talon's ranks would want that weapon as a trophy. Right now a lot of them think you're dead...but I know you're still out there.
Here are the coordinates if you're interested in getting your gun back.
Stay safe and keep your head down...if you're interested enough to bother.
- Reyes
It didn't occur to me at all that my rifle was missing; I had completely forgotten about it between the heart surgery and now. My fist immediately clenched.
"...If I'm going to get my revenge on Oscar...I'll do it with my own rifle."
I knew that Sombra nor Aiden would approve of what I was going to do next...but it was time for me to start fighting my own battles. This one...was personal. After making note of where to find the arena based on coordinates, I decided to be discreet. They didn't have to know I was doing this.
"Amélie? Is everything okay?"
I immediately turned around to see that Aiden had awakened and was now sitting up, rubbing his eyes.
"Yes. I just got a message from Reyes...he's keeping me informed of Talon's movements."
"What did he say?"
I shook my head, locking my PDA and placing it back down before rejoining him on the bed.
"They've been quiet. So it looks like we finally have some peace."
Aiden sighed in relief as I reached him and kissed his cheek.
"You can sleep in for once if you'd like." I whispered.
He shook his head and laughed softly.
"Not my style. I've been doing it for more than a week. My turn to cook breakfast." he said.
His tone was firm, but I didn't feel in the least demanded from. Instead...I felt touched.
"What would you like me to make?" he asked.
"...Something sweet." I replied.
He kissed my forehead before rolling out of the bed.
"Check on Sombra...hopefully she isn't already up and vomiting her insides up." he said.
I nodded as he left the room. I made my way to Sombra's room after washing my face to see that she was indeed hovering over the toilet, vomiting a lot.
"Are you okay?" I asked with a sly smile.
"Very funny amiga..."
I crouched down next to her and placed a hand on her back.
"Is that everything?" I asked.
"...Not quite..."
I looked away as I heard her retch once more into the toilet and after a few seconds of panting, she reached up and flushed the toilet.
"Remind me...to never drink that much without stuffing myself with food." she pleaded.
"Noted."
I helped her to her feet, but she wasted no time in teasing me by poking my lips.
"So how good of a kisser is he?" she snickered.
I blushed profusely and looked away.
"Come on amiga. You can tell me!" she said in sing song voice.
"None of your business." I replied.
She gave me a devious look.
"That good huh?" she teased.
I growled softly before turning to leave.
"He's cooking breakfast. I was just making sure you were okay." I said.
"Thanks Spider. I'll be down in a few minutes." she replied.
I tried to leave, but she suddenly shot a hand out and grabbed mine. She gave me an almost questioning look.
"...Is everything okay? It looks like something's bothering you." she asked.
I shook my head, feeling my heart rate suddenly increase as she leaned closer.
"If something's wrong, you know you can tell me Spider...I've got your back. Always." she said.
Half of me felt guilty for lying to her and the other half was thankful that she wasn't confident in her ability to tell when someone was lying. I nodded and gave her a convincing smile.
"Everything's fine...I'm just a little tired." I replied.
She then shrugged, returning to her cheery disposition.
"Alright. Give me a few minutes!"
I took my leave, sighing in relief that she chose not to pursue the matter further. It felt...strange to lie to both of them like this, but I believed this was something I had to handle on my own. It's my rifle...so I should be the one to get it back. Sombra wasn't particularly great at fighting people and I know for a fact that Aiden would probably fight an entire army if he had enough of a reason to...but now it was time for me to do something on my own. Up to this point, they had provided me everything I needed to feel safe and not alone.
It was time for me to do something of my own accord for once.
Later That Evening
"The library?" asked Aiden.
I nodded solemnly.
"I wanted to do some research and I have a contact I'm meeting there to investigate a lead on Oscar." I replied.
He nodded slowly, evidently buying my story.
"You sure you don't want us to come with you Spider?" asked Sombra.
I nodded with a smile.
"I'll be fine. It's mostly desk work that I'll be doing regardless." I replied.
The hacker shrugged before turning her attention back to her holographic interface, where she continued to play video games. Aiden followed me out of the apartment and into the underground parking lot, where he handed me the keys to his car.
"I'm a call away if you need anything...okay?" he assured.
I responded by kissing him, not even giving him a chance to prepare himself. I broke away after a few seconds, but kept my face near his.
"I know. I'll be back in a few hours...and before you say it, I'll be careful." I whispered.
The assassin nodded, finally convinced that I would be safe because I could tell how worried he was allowing me to go alone. He embraced me deeply and after a few moments, he released me. After getting into the car and giving him one last look, I drove off. Thankful that I could finally rest a little easier, I looked in the backseat to see the gear I decided to take with me for the arena. I made sure to bring arm warmers that would hide my arm tattoo and I decided to fight with all of my hair let out along with wearing tight collared sweater. Hopefully...no one would recognize me. In the event that I felt too out of place, I also brought a mask with me.
"...Now here's hoping I don't have to fight robots or supersoldiers..."
...
Two Hours Later
"Could I have some more of that pasta?" asked Sombra.
"Sure. Lots of sauce right?" I replied.
She gave me a cheerful smile before nodding eagerly. I quickly got up from my seat, picked up her dish and refilled it with the pasta I cooked earlier. After placing it back in front of her, I sat back down.
"Ay dios mio...can I come live with you permanently? I'll pay rent." she said.
I laughed heartily.
"You can come and stay whenever you'd like...though I'm not fully sure if Amélie would be open to that." I replied.
The hacker sighed softly.
"Probably not...speaking of the Spider...you gonna tell me how good of a kisser she is?" she teased.
I laughed softly, now seeing a very rare chance to tease my friend.
"The best one hands down."
She comically gave me a stare of disbelief, but eventually conceded, blushing lightly.
"Well...she is French...and Spider always did have those very kissable lips." she sighed.
"What does being French have to do with it?" I replied with a chuckle.
"...And here I was hoping that I was the best one you've ever had." she said with a childish pout.
A sound from her gloves immediately broke us from our conversation as she pulled the interface up. She smiled.
"The gauntlet for tonight is gonna start. Wanna watch it?" she asked.
"You mean at the arena?" I replied.
"Yep. The last competitor for the night is about to start."
I quickly placed all of the dirty plates into the dishwasher and started it as I followed Sombra to the couch. She then enlarged the screen before pulling her legs up and leaning on my shoulder. I rolled my eyes; she evidently didn't care too much that Amélie and I were now officially seeing each other. Then again...I wouldn't have Sombra be anyone but herself and hopefully, Amélie would get used to her flirtatious tendencies because in the end, our friendly hacker meant no harm. However, my eyes widened upon noticing something on the screen.
"What's the prize for winning?" I asked.
Sombra immediately opened a second screen and did a little searching before gasping audibly.
"...The grand prize is...the rifle of the late assassin Widowmaker. The Widow's Kiss."
I cursed under my breath, realizing that she lied to us from the start. However, I couldn't find it within myself to get angry at her; she evidently thought she could handle this on her own and was probably tired of asking us for help. That was Amélie however...always trying to do things by herself.
"That's where the Spider went..." gasped Sombra.
"I'm not very worried about her...she can handle herself." I replied.
Sombra shook her head vigorously.
"Her opponents are either cybernetically enhanced or are trained martial artists who used to be employed by the Shimada clan." she replied.
My heart sank to my stomach as I let out a deep sigh.
"Can-"
"Already pinged us a taxi." she interjected.
I let out a breath of relief and smiled at her.
"What would I do without you Sombra?" I asked.
She responded by poking my nose and winking at me.
"Let's go get her."
Unexpectedly, Sombra shook her head, giving me a reluctant look.
"We don't lift a finger to help her until she absolutely needs it. You know what it will do to her pride right?" she interjected.
I shook my head, but Sombra held my hand.
"You have to promise me right now Aiden. You're not going to lift a finger to help her until she absolutely needs it."
I let out a deep sigh, reluctantly nodding to my friend as my free hand automatically clenched into a fist.
"Alright. I promise.
One Hour Later- The Underground Arena, The Nine Dragons Casino
I ducked under a kick from my opponent, jumping back to avoid any further blows as I searched for a weakness. I had managed to defeat one opponent on the arena ladder after having six others fail before me. The first opponent was a former Special Forces soldier who was adept at Krav Maga. However, he wasn't anywhere near as skilled as I was in the art. For once, I was thankful for the training Talon gave me beforehand. In addition to ensuring that I was a master of the sniper rifle, I was trained by three of the best Savate practitioners in all of Europe. Though I suffered many injuries during my training, I was soon able to hold my own against each of them...but I couldn't best any of them.
Still, the training was really paying off here as I was easily able to best the Krav Maga soldier. My current opponent...was a Muay Thai specialist. She was giving me some trouble, due to her clearly superior durability. I was faster than her, but she could definitely take a lot more hits than I could. She came at me again, throwing another kick towards my head. I reacted almost instantly, ducking and firing a kick of my own which was blocked by her hand. She grabbed a hold of my leg and launched a knee towards my stomach. I immediately applied great force to my leg, taking her off balance and dropping us both ungracefully to the ground, but at least I didn't get hit by what could've been a fight ending knee. I quickly got back to my feet, panting softly as I continued to search for an opening.
"...She's leaning to her right side. The first kick I managed to land must've done more damage than I thought...I just need one chance. An opening to take advantage."
She came at me again, firing punches and knees which I managed to block. She was starting to slow down; she wasn't anywhere near as fast as she was four minutes ago when this fight started. Seeing a pattern develop, I backed away to catch my breath. Surely enough, she too was out of breath and she leaned even more towards her right side, indicating that my kick to her ribs had finally begun to take its toll. Grasping the opportunity, I dashed forward, sailing a kick towards her head. She predictably up her hands up to block it. In the same motion, I bent my knee slightly and pivoted on my heel, allowing the initial kick to breeze past her elbow as I brought my other leg up the moment the first one reached the ground. It resulted in a devastating blow to the mid section, knocking the wind clean out of her as she fell to the ground. I quickly pinned her to the ground with my foot, forcing her to surrender.
"Well fought! This has been the most interesting night in the past three weeks!"
I looked up, ensuring my mask was covering my face as I saw the announcer step forward.
"Mr. Shimada wishes to extend his gratitude for all the participants tonight as we get into the final three fights of the night!"
The announcer then looked down at me from the balcony he was on.
"Elise Eclair has gone further than any other person has managed to in the past month. Give her a round of applause!"
The crowd that surrounded the cage erupted into cheers as I leaned off of my opponent. Surprisingly, she bowed to me and gave me a smile.
"You're a good fighter. I haven't seen someone that good at Savate in a very long time." she said.
"Merci." I replied.
She took her leave as I stepped back to my side of the cage.
"In order to make things more interesting, Mr. Shimada has decided to alter the rules for the last three fights. He has allowed Miss Eclair to select a partner from the audience. Anyone who is willing to participate will receive a significant cash prize!" said the announcer.
I shook my head, knowing full well that no one had the spine to face the next three opponents. To be honest...I wasn't sure if I myself was ready for this.
The guilt from lying to Sombra and Aiden was beginning to bother me...when it really shouldn't considering the way I used to be before all of this happened. I was supposed to be a lone wolf...
"No one will fight? Well then Miss Eclair's battle has just gotten much more difficult as she now has to fight the final three matches without a partner, facing two or more opponents on her own!"
My eyes widened in horror as the cage door opened and in came two relatively large men. From what I could tell, they were boxers.
"The third match! Vs. The Harper Brothers! Begin!"
I barely got a chance to process what was said before one of them charged at me. I immediately rolled out of the way before dashing behind the second man, managing to land a good kick to his ribs. However, he grabbed into my leg before throwing me into the cage. I hissed in pain, but got back to my feet as I took my fighting stance. I felt overwhelmed; I didn't expect for the rules to change so suddenly and I wasn't used to fighting people who were significantly larger than me...let alone two of them, at the same time.
I did my best to dodge their blows, but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up for long considering that I haven't gotten much of a break between the fights. I would have to win this match before I would be allowed some time to recover...
"Come on Spider. You can take these cabrons."
I cursed under my breath, remembering that I forgot to remove the earpiece from my ear just before I went into the arena.
"What the hell are you doing here Sombra." I whispered.
"Cheering you on. I saw the arena's feed on the holonet and I put two and two together once I saw that your rifle was the prize."
I felt my heart skip a beat as I realized that her knowing also meant that Aiden knew.
"...Are you angry with me?" I asked.
"Not at all...though you should've said something because by now, you should know that we're a team. We're amigas."
"She's right Amélie. You should've told us."
I felt the guilt begin to build once I heard his voice. He however, didn't sound like he was irritated with me...instead, his voice was full of concern.
"I...thought I could handle this on my own." I replied.
I dodged more oncoming blows, but found myself getting hit in the stomach which sent me rolling across the ground.
"Get up Spider! You can't give up now!"
I shook the pain off and got up, grasping my stomach and panting as I tried to block it all out.
"Keito allowed you to have a partner didn't he? Let Aiden get in there! He'll hand their asses to them."
"No! If he does that, he'll reveal himself to everyone...I've been keeping my identity a secret with this mask and all these clothes. But everyone knows that he's a Hapkido master."
I heard him laugh softly.
"I don't recall saying that was the only style I knew. If you want me to help you Amélie, all you have to do is say the word. I won't lift a finger unless you want me to."
Even though his words sounded firm, I could tell how worried he was about me. After having spent so much time with him, there were subtle changes to his voice that let me know what he was really feeling. I took a deep breath.
"If I go down one more time...help me." I said.
I dashed towards the smaller of the two men and managed to hit him hard in the chest, just below the solar plexus. It had the desired effect; it knocked the wind out of him. I then managed to follow up with two swift kicks to the same spot, which ended up dropping him to the ground with him struggling to breathe. I turned to fight the second man, but he immediately grabbed me and landed a brutal knee to my stomach, in the same spot I was punched earlier. He then threw me to the ground and prepared to pin me down to end the match. I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst but before anything could hit me, I heard footsteps land right in front of me. I opened my eyes to see that Aiden had jumped in from the audience balcony above us, as it was the only place he could've come from. He then started to eye the large man before raising a hand.
"That's no way to treat a lady." he said.
I crawled back to the wall but the man once again tried to come at me. However, Aiden quickly grabbed him by his arm before throwing him over his shoulder. He then stood protectively in front of me and extended both his hands, taking a fighting stance I had never seen before. I heard Sombra squeal over the earpiece.
"YOU KNOW WING CHUN TOO?!"
The men came at him at the same time but he almost effortlessly dodged them as he drew them away from me. I took the chance to recover from the blow to my stomach as I watched in awe. Clearly, he was back to his prime. They both tried to hit him with punches, but not a single one of them managed to land as they were either dodged or blocked. After a few seconds, both men backed away to catch their breaths. Aiden took the chance to make his move as he went for the larger man. He sidestepped a punch, grabbing onto his arm and landing a swift palm strike to his chest. The blow was hard enough to stumble the man briefly as his companion came from behind. Aiden was ready however and ducked under an oncoming clothesline before landing a vicious kick to the man's right calf. In the same motion, he spun around and kicked him hard in the jaw, dropping him to the ground and knocking him unconscious. The second man recovered from the palm strike and ran at Aiden...
Big mistake.
The assassin made it look easy as he dodged another ten punches before launching an assault of his own, relentlessly pummeling the man's chest with punches. After landing at least twenty punches, Aiden paused briefly to wind up a devastating palm thrust, striking the man so hard he actually went flying a short distance into the cage wall. With both opponents defeated, he approached me and offered a hand. I took it as he hoisted me to my feet, giving me a proud smile.
"You did well getting this far on your own; the combatants in this arena are among the best of the best." he said.
I shook my head, feeling deeply disappointed that he once again had to come to my rescue. However, he seemed to sense my discomfort and shook his head.
"You made this decision on your own and thought about it enough to think that you could handle it. That's respectable. But you also need to understand that you're no longer a lone wolf. You have people who care about you...deeply. And no matter what, we're going to do everything in our power to help you." he explained.
"That goes double for me amiga!"
I smiled at him and nodded.
"Thank you."
"A new combatant has entered the arena to help Miss Eclair in her fight to the top! And what is your name sir?" shouted the announcer on the microphone.
Aiden looked up at the balcony.
"Arno Dumont." he replied.
The announcer excitedly turned to the roaring crowd.
"It seems that these two know each other! Will this newly formed power couple be able to conquer the next two challenges?! Let's find out after a ten minute intermission!"
I allowed Aiden to put my arm over his shoulder as he helped me out of the cage, ignoring the two unconscious men on the floor as we made our way to the resting area. It contained several benches, a few lockers and a large fridge which was already filled with iced beverages. There were also several first aid kits. Not one minute after we sat down, Sombra ran into the room, carrying a bag on her shoulder. She looked deeply worried.
"That was a nasty knee you just took amiga. Are you sure you're alright?" she asked.
I removed my mask and nodded.
"I'll be fine...just give me a moment." I replied.
"Sombra. Do you know anything about the next two matches?" asked Aiden.
The hacker immediately opened a holoscreen and began to search around. Not two minutes later, she had a rare look of shock and horror.
"There's nothing on them...the roster doesn't list the top two opponents." she replied.
"Then we'll have to be on our guard." he said.
He took a deep breath before giving Sombra a serious look. After handing Aiden the bag, she left the room. He then reached into the bag before crouching down to my sitting height.
"Let me see your stomach." he said.
His tone was gentle...the polar opposite of what I expected considering that I just betrayed his trust. I lifted my sweater...only to see that it was bruised badly. He took a deep breath and shook his head.
"I'll have to thank Dr. Ziegler for giving me some of this."
He removed a syringe from the bag before looking at me.
"I won't be able to focus on fighting if I'm worried about your stomach...this is a small dose of the same serum that Dr. Ziegler uses to repair grievous wounds on the battlefield. Do you want me to apply it?" he asked.
I looked at the needle for a moment before sighing and nodding.
"I always seem to drag you into trouble..." I grumbled.
He wiped my arm with disinfectant and cotton before injecting the serum. Once he finished, he immediately covered the wound with some gauze, but made no move to apply a bandage...which puzzled me.
"There's no need for a bandage; it works very fast."
I took a look at my stomach and much to my astonishment, the skin was already beginning to fade to my normal skin color. I then looked at my arm to see that the needle wound had already completely disappeared. After placing the syringe back into the bag, he sat next to me.
"I'm not amused at what you did...but I understand why."
He then laughed softly.
"And now here we are about to face probably insurmountable odds because knowing Keito Shimada, he has some very difficult things planned for us...but I'm here for you. Always."
He held my hand and gave me a confident nod.
"You're quite skilled. I don't know many people who are that proficient in Savate. You held your own quite well all things considering."
"But I still wasn't strong enough..."
I lowered my head and stared at the ground.
"...I don't want to rely on you and Sombra to get me out of every bind. I want to be able to do things on my own sometimes." I explained.
"You've done everything up to this point in your life on your own. Even when you were still an assassin, you always did things your own way...but these aren't normal people you're dealing with. Not to mention that you're not behind the scope of a rifle."
As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I was out of my element when it came to this...and it must've been my desire to do something without help that made me make this rash decision. He placed a hand on my leg and gently rubbed it.
"You're not alone anymore. Even if you don't want us around, we're going to be there to help you if you need it. And that goes tenfold for me...because you know how I feel about you."
Before I could say a word, he kissed my lips. Feeling my doubt and irritation wash away, I kissed back for a few seconds until I heard the speaker sound.
"It is time for the gauntlet to resume! Will the team of Elise Eclair and Arno Dumont be able to overcome the odds? It's time to find out!"
Aiden got to his feet and held a hand out to me.
"Let's get your rifle back."