|
Episode
138 |
|
|
“Careful,
Aff. I hear these things are sharp.” Captain Malcolm Reynolds, Firefly The double-doors of the club were
blown open as if from an explosion and “I didn’t want you going down too
quickly,” The two bouncers at the doors
looked across each other, utterly unsure how to respond. The one on the left side of the door leaned
slightly around it, to see into the darkness of the club, only to have Ledger
thrown up against the door, crushing the bouncer against the wall. The other bouncer panicked and hid as
Roland and Ryoko, locked in a deadly dance, sword fought their way out of the
club. Ryoko blocked one of Roland’s low
strikes, only to elbow Ledger in the face as he tried to come up behind
her. She stabbed at him with her
sword, kicking at Roland with the same motion. Both Blue knights backed away from her, but
the dame was relentless. She leapt off
the stairs at Ledger, slicing for his face.
He ducked to the side as he cocked his shotgun. He fired at where she landed, but missed narrowly
as she dodged out of the way. The
people in line for the club screamed and began to scatter. Roland and Ledger backed halfway
down the steps, but Ryoko didn’t follow.
She took out a small cell phone and hit speed dial. She let the phone ring once before tossing
it away and focusing again on the two knights. “I think she’s got something against us,”
Roland said. “I’m more worried about what she’s
trying to put in us,” Ledger said, focusing on her sword. “If this wasn’t a life-or-death
situation, I’d make some crack about how gay that sounded,” Roland said
before dodging out of the way as Ryoko sliced for his head. He hacked at her legs, getting her to block
it, then kicked high at her head. She
blocked the kick with her left arm before shoving her shoulder into his body,
knocking him off-balance and off his feet.
Roland collapsed to the ground and Ryoko dropped knee-first onto his
stomach, hacking at the middle of his face.
He slipped his head to the side, the katana driving into the concrete
instead. Ryoko
pulled her sword free and angled it again when she felt Ledger’s shotgun
against her ear. “Don’t move, dame,”
he said. Before the words were
finished, she whipped around, sweeping his legs out from underneath him. Ledger hit the stairwell and rolled out to
the sidewalk. Ryoko turned back to
Roland, seeing only his knuckles. The
punch rocked her thoroughly and gave him the room to shove her off. He scrambled frantically to his feet and
joined Ledger on the sidewalk. “This
chick’s tough,” Ledger said as Roland helped him to his feet. “Do
you think it’d help if I asked her out?” Roland offered. “You
get right on that,” Ledger dismissed as Ryoko descended the steps. He glanced over his shoulder to see two
cars coming down the street. “It’s the
middle of the frickin’ night!” he yelled.
“Why aren’t you people at home?” Ryoko
kicked Ledger into the street. He
landed in the path of the nearer car.
He looked up able to see it coming straight for him, making no attempt
to swerve. He made himself as small as
possible, covering his head. The car
shot over him, catching on his jacket, tearing it down the back. He got up to his feet and turned, watching
the car’s red brake lights disappear into the city. He turned, only to get caught across the
face by Ryoko. He stumbled back, aware
now of more cars appearing from both sides of the road. He backed up into the middle of the street,
Ryoko standing before him. None of the
cars swerved, or even seemed to acknowledge the knights, but the cars near
Ryoko moved subtly, avoiding her as if subconsciously. “Oh come on!” he groaned as the cars
passed, bracing himself for Ryoko’s approach. Saber met cutlass as Alan and
Edgar’s duel continued inside the club.
Their two blades moved like a swirl of lightning as they fought on the
dance floor, the multi-colored lights that flashed around them sending
cascades of illumination over the comatose crowd. “Is there a reason they’re just
standing there?” Edgar asked, blocking Alan’s hack at his throat. He riposted with a quick slice at Alan’s
nose, making him back up. “Keeps them out of the way if
there’s trouble,” Alan commented, stabbing at Edgar’s midsection. He slashed horizontally, making Edgar leap
back to keep from being split in half.
“You know, makes life easy.” “I hate to agree with you, but it
isn’t making this a lot less complicated,” he said, launching a barrage of
quick stabs at Alan. The Red knight
knocked the sword off-course and slashed at Edgar, catching him on the side
of the jaw, drawing blood. Edgar
touched his chin, feeling the soupy red pour down onto his hand. “If this ruins my suit,” he threatened. “It’s only blue and white,” Alan
said, maneuvering around Edgar.
“Nobody will give a damn.” He
swung at Edgar, but he blocked the strike, sliding along Alan’s blade to
lunge at his face. Alan pushed the
blade off course and circled his sword arm over Edgar’s pinning it against
his body, at the same time stabbing for Edgar. Edgar leaned back, letting Alan’s sword
slide past him before turning quickly, pulling Alan off his feet. Alan went with the throw and landed on his
feet, reversing the effort to take Edgar off his feet and send him flying
against the bar. Edgar hit the bar hard, crashing
into several people. He looked up as
Alan neared and backpedaled up onto the bar top. Alan got a running start and leapt up to
join him. The duel continued as the
two fought on the narrow space of the bar.
Alan swung at Edgar, but the older knight ducked around it and nicked
Alan in the leg. Alan tried to
riposte, but Edgar quickly slashed twice at his arm, drawing blood with both
strikes. Alan backed away, Edgar cautiously
following. Alan let him get into a
step, then leapt past him, kicking backwards against Edgar’s back while still
in the air. The Blue knight was sent
diving off the bar and onto the crowd.
Alan landed and turned, leaping at him, stabbing at where he had
been. Edgar rolled up to his feet at
the corner of the club, his saber ready.
But Alan moved too quickly, kicking him hard in the chest. The blow knocked Edgar off his feet and
sent him crashing through the door into the back of the club. The traffic was a steady stream of
instant death. Driving at breakneck
speeds, the cars zoomed by, angling around Ryoko, but indifferent towards
Ledger and Roland trapped on the yellow lines in the middle of the road. Roland swung for Ryoko, but she
parried the strike, sending him stumbling into traffic. He shrieked and ducked out of the way as a
red car went zooming by. Ryoko turned
as Ledger aimed his shotgun, clearing the distance before he could fire and
shooting his legs with a double-leg takedown.
She hoisted him off his feet and threw him into traffic. Ledger landed as a car came speeding
towards him, only to have Roland leap into traffic, tackling Ledger out of
the way, both rolling across to the far side of the street. They picked themselves up, only to
see Ryoko walking indifferently towards them, the cars barreling down at her
moving out of the way to keep from hitting her. “This Knightspeak stuff’s getting on my
nerves,” Ledger said. “You’re the one with a gun that’s
not shooting!” Roland yelled. “Make
with the ghetto-style.” Ledger held out his gun, only to
get caught in the face by Ryoko’s foot.
Knocked back, he landed several feet from Ryoko and Roland. The two knights stood, squaring off. “I will have that sword,” the dame said,
her voice dripping with hate. “Come and get it,” Roland
answered, undaunted. Edgar scrambled up the steps,
panting as blood poured from his chin.
Following him into the narrow hallway, Alan stalked him mercilessly.
Into the long, straight darkness of the hall, Edgar stood his ground,
preparing for the duel to continue. Alan lunged at him, catching Edgar
just off the leg. He winced in pain,
before punching Alan in the face. Alan
pounded the handle guard of his cutlass against Edgar’s wound, making him
shout, before he brought the blade up to impale Edgar’s face through the base
of his jaw. Edgar dodged out of the
way before slapping Alan’s other ear with his saber, cutting the flesh. Alan yelped and pounded Edgar on the side
of the neck with the cutlass’s pommel. Edgar collapsed back to the
ground, then swung at Alan’s feet.
Alan danced back and Edgar swept his blade back and forth, keeping
Alan backing up as he rose to his feet.
Standing again, he took his stance, Alan doing the same. “Shall we?” he asked, panting, gesturing
for Alan to continue to the fight. “Age before beauty,” Alan spat,
hacking for Edgar. Edgar stepped out
of the way, tripping Alan, slashing at his back. Alan tumbled forward and the fight
continued down the hall. |
|