A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with part II of the showdown. Unfortunately there will not be a new chapter next week. I wish I didn't have to wait, but I'll be out of town and won't have internet for a whole week. Also, I've been having problems connecting to . I don't know I'd it's just me or if it's the site, but I'll try to fix it. Anyway, sorry for any typos, errors, OOCness and just overall crappy writing. As for this chapter, my week has been full not inconveniences and my annoyance reflects in my writing, so it didn't turn out as I had hoped. All I can say is, I tried
When Yuma reached the remains of the collapsed factory, he took the first turn he saw. He then ran down the path in front of him, skipping the next few turns before hanging a left, then turning sharply right around another corner. He continued to take turn after turn, working his way through the maze-like rubble as he avoided the debris that littered the ground. His goal was to put as much space between himself and the assassin as possible. If he wanted to stand a chance, he would need to take a moment to collect his thoughts, take stock of injuries, then think through his next move. None of that could be done with the assassin around.
After a solid two minutes of weaving through the maze, Yuma turned one last corner before dropping down against the wall, squatting with his back flattened against the cement behind him to limit the chances of the assassin seeing him, should it come nearby.
Yuma took a deep breath, though it wasn't like he really needed it. The purpose was more to calm down and focus as he willed the thrum of adrenaline-enhanced instinct under his skin to calm. It took another few breaths, but soon Yuma's mind was clear, and he looked up at the top of the collapsed walls around him.
The part of the factory that he had run through had all been outside, the young Neighbor avoiding the paths that led into the part of the factory still standing. There were to many threats poised over the cracked cement and piles of ground-up rock. The chances of being cornered were much higher in the part of the factory that was still standing, and if it wanted to, the assassin could probably find a way to bring the entire building down on Yuma, should he venture inside. Sure the tables could be turned and Yuma could lure the assassin into the building before bringing it down, but the chances were a bit too slim. There was also the fact that Osamu and the others weren't far away, and the collapsing of the factory could have a harmful affect on them, or even draw outside attention from other people in Mikado.
With the standing part of the factory as a no-go, Yuma began to think about the part he was in, the part that was already collapsed completely. There were many twists and turns, as well as piles of rubble he could hide behind to sneak-attack the assassin. In terms of options, there were many possibilities. The only problem was executing his attacks. The assassin was quick on its feet with even quicker reflexes, and despite the smaller spaces in the collapsed corridors, Yuma did not have the advantage. There wasn't a lot of room for him to dodge, and long-range attacks were out of the question unless he used Bound and went up. His best chance would be to appear and disappear. If he suddenly jumped out from one place and attacked before the assassin could react, he'd need to simply run off in another direction and get out of sight as quickly as possible before the assassin could counter attack.
Plan in mind, Yuma stood, quickly surveying his Trion body. The small cuts were bothersome, but not huge problems, not unless the fight ended up getting drawn out for a long time. If he could limit his injuries to small ones like those he had, while inflicting heavier damage on the assassin, he'd gain the upper hand. It all came down to how well he could fight in the rubble and what obstacles he ran into.
Taking one deep breath to clear his mind of all but his plan and goals, Yuma raised his hand palm-up to about waist level, beginning his attack.
"Echo."
-000-
Jin, Tachikawa, Rindo, Chika and Osamu stared at the collapsed factory that Yuma had run into just a minute ago. There was no sound, the area completely silent. Nothing was being destroyed or blown up, giving the impression that the two in the maze were seperated and not yet engaging in combat. That was a bit reliving, but at the same time in caused the tension to rise. It would be favorable for the Border agents if the fight ended soon, and with Yuma's victory. The longer the fight went on, the more dangerous things would be not just for Yuma, but for them as well. Then there was the fact that someone else might noticed the commotion and get involved. That thought in particular was on Rindo's mind. There was always a chance that, should something go wrong, HQ would use Yuma as a scapegoat. The chance increased significantly due to the fact that Yuma was the assassin's target to begin with.
The Border agents' attention was suddenly torn from the collapsed factory when Jin's Trigger deactivated abruptly and the teen fell to his knees, a pained noise escaping his clenched teeth as one hand went to the wound on his chest, his other flying up to his head.
"Jin?!" Rindo questioned, kneeling down behind his agent. Tachikawa glanced down at the two, but didn't drop his stance, remaining ready to fight at a moment's notice. Chika and Osamu stepped back to give Jin and Rindo some room, their concern showing on their faces clear as day.
"I'm fine," Jin said dismissively, though his voice was tight and a bit strained. Even without Yuma's Side Effect, they all knew he was lying.
In reality, Jin couldn't stay on his feet. He felt drained, like someone had sucked all the energy from his body. On top of that, he felt uncomfortably warm and could feel the painful pounding of a headache starting in his head, acconpanied by dizziness when he stood. There was also the fact that his chest felt like it was being clawed open all over again, and his vision blurred even when he knelt.
Rindo's brow furrowed as he observed Jin's face. The teen had his eyes squeezed shut against what was undoubtedly a headache. However, what concered him more was the hand that Jin had over the wound on his chest.
Moving around in front of Jin, Rindo grabbed the teen's wrist and pulled Jin's hand away from his chest, frowning when he saw small spots of blood on Jin's white t-shirt. Rindo sighed, letting Jin put his hand back.
"This is why we weren't going to give your Trigger back, Jin. The HQ doctors told Kido-san, Shinoda-san and I that you would get hurt more if you didn't wait to get back into fighting," the Tamakoma Director said, one hand on Jin's back as the teen unsteadily got to his feet, the dizziness fading just slightly so it was at least bearable. Rindo kept his hand on Jin's back even after they stood, not trusting that the exhausted teen's legs would hold Jin upright.
"I would say you four should get out of here, because we already all know it's a bit dangerous and Jin looks like he's about to pass out, but I'm not sure what's going on with Kuga and the assassin over there. Plus, Mikumo and Amatori can't fend off the assassin if it comes after you, and it wouldn't help Yuma if he had to protect you and fight for his life at the same time. In another situation, it would be best for you to get as far away as possible, but it's not a good idea to go without someone capable of at least holding the assassin off. I would go with you, but I can't leave Kuga by himself in case something goes wrong," Tachikawa pointed out, though he left out what the nagging little voice in the back of his head was saying, telling him to fight the assassin himself for the thrill. He already knew he wouldn't do it.
Rindo nodded.
"We'll just have to hope Yuma ends this quickly," he said as everyone turned their eyes back to the rubble that Yuma had run into when a small explosion knocked down a wall, the soundwave reaching their ears with a bang.
-000-
The sound waves spanned out around Yuma, bouncing back as they hit different objects. Metal bars, cement walls, piles of small chunks of collapsed factory, a Trion body. Yuma's eyes opened a fraction as Echo found the assassin. It wasn't far away, and was getting steadily closer by the second.
'I guess I didn't do as good as a job at getting away as I wanted' Yuma thought, a small, silent sigh escaping his lips.
Without a sound, Yuma began walking back the way he came, keeping in mind the location of the assassin from when he used Echo, as well as the path it seemed to be taking. The young Neighbor decided to take a roundabout way to reach the assassin, going in a large arc the best he could as he made his way through the maze. It seemed to take forever, but he soon found himself flattened against the wall, listening to the harsh gasps of the assassin as it searched for him.
'Now.' Yuma sprang out from behind the wall, drawing his fist back before swinging it toward the assassin as he quickly as he could. Unfortunately, the assassin hadn't been focusing completely on looking for him. It's instincts were tuned in to its surroundings, and it moved to dodge as Yuma attacked. Yuma only managed to clip the assassin's side, dealing enough damage to at least offset the assassin's balance slightly, but not enough to hurt it much.
Yuma sprinted behind another wall, staying silent as he listened. He could have struck the assassin again while it was off balance, and he had even thought of doing so, but when a cord whipped over his head only a few inches away, he thought better of it and ran to safety. Clearly, he'd need to improvise, since that last encounter proved his plan wouldn't work how he thought.
Running around a few more corners, Yuma raised his hand to waist level once again.
"Ec-" The Neighbor was cut off when the wall next to him exploded, showering him in rubble while blinding his sight and hearing. The familiar sound of what resembled screaming gears barely registered in Yuma's ears, and he caught just a flash of the purple flame that shrouded the assassin. It was going to attack him, using the chalky air as cover. "Bound!" Yuma shouted, stepping back onto the seal he placed. He shot upwards and found that his theory had been right.
Trion exploded from his leg as his right foot was cut off just above the ankle. Yuma let out a 'tch' in annoyance and raised his hands out in front of himself.
"Anchor plus Bolt, Quadra!" he yelled, getting a bit worked up. Nothing was going as planned. Yuma released his building anger with the hail of black streaks that rained from the seal that hovered in front of his hands, flying down toward the assassin, who moved around to dodge.
Yuma changed his aim, following the assassin as it moved and even aiming in places he predicted the assassin was headed toward. He continued to shoot until he noticed that he was draining his Trion and not hitting a thing. Frowning, Yuma halted his attack as he dropped back toward the ground. He looked around for the assassin as he descended, but couldn't find it. The fact that the assassin was nearby was troublesome enough, but the fact that he didn't know where it was made things harder. He'd likely have little to no time to recover once he hit the ground.
Unfortunately for Yuma, he never hit the ground.
The younge Neighbor had been so absorbed in finding the assassin that he hadn't paid enough attention to where he was headed. Far too late, he found himself dropping in the worst place possible. Before Yuma could even think of a way to dodge, his Trion body landed on the outstretched claws of the assassin. The claws tore right through his chest, breaking through his back. Yuma coughed, sending Trion flying out of his mouth, as well as his wounds.
'Just my luck," Yuma thought, grabbing the assassin's arm and pushing, prying himself from the claws. He managed to free himself just as his Black Trigger body failed, far too damaged to further sustain itself. Yuma landed in a crouch in front of the assassin, and immediately started jogging backwards.
"Boost, Double. Bound, Quadra," Yuma mumbled, boosting his Trion body with more power while laying a powerful jump down. He stepped on the seal and flew up, turning toward the clearing where his comrades were. The factory had turned into a death trap, despite Jin and Osamu's brilliant strategies. He was out of options now, and could only think of one thing to do. The problem?
He wasn't sure that he'd survive.