Episode 060

                “It’s not hard to knock ‘em down.
                 It’s getting them to stay down that’s the trick.”
                                Springer, Transformers: The Movie

                In the dark rain, the lights appeared. Like the eyes of demons, the beams of yellow illumination burned through the night, shattering the peaceful rain and roaring through the city streets with a powerful viciousness.

                The three trucks barreled down the street, their giant presence rumbling towards the sight of the fallen soldiers. The seven bodies lay strewn across the street, blood flowing from some, but none moving or even conscious.

“Who are these guys?” Ledger asked, watching the trucks through the shallow rain as he waited at the far side of the alley.

                “My guess would be Hand Special Forces, or the rough equivalent.” Sydney answered, her twin swords held ready.

                “That’s probably bad news.” Ledger said, chewing on the thought nonchalantly as the trucks continued their slow, cautious roll towards the city center.

                “Probably.”

                “Well then,” He said, holding out his sawed off shotgun with a dramatic pose. “Let’s even things up.”

                “What are you going to do?” Ruwani said, her shaking voice carrying over the fallen rain as she stood at the back of her car. Behind her, Alan and Kim remained connected to each other in a desperate loving embrace, both watching in horror.

                “I’m going to kill them.” Ledger said, looking back at her as he checked the rounds in the short barrel of his shotgun. “Duh.”

                “Kill?” Kim whispered. Alan hugged her tighter.

                “Just be careful.” Sydney said, turning Ledger’s attention back to the trucks. “When you shoot, the police are going to respond.”

                “Maybe.” Ledger said, holding out his arm. The rain splattered off the metal barrel of his shotgun as he closed his left eye. He took aim only once. “Maybe not.”

                He pulled the trigger.

                The front of his gun turned into lightning as Ledger’s hand was knocked up into the air. For a brief second, it seemed like nothing had changed. For a brief second, it seemed the world had survived the horrible gesture of the black knight. Then the sound hit.

                The rear-most transport leapt into the air with wings of flame coming out from underneath it as it’s left side went flying over the right. Spinning completely, the giant sports-utility vehicle slammed back down onto the ground, it’s wheels popping out from underneath it like the heads of four pimples popping simultaneously.

                “Been watching the A-Team again?” Sydney asked, looking over Ledger.

                The knight cocked his shotgun again. “BA Barracus was my hero.” He leveled for another shot.

                The two cars spun to the sides, both headed down side streets. “Damn it!” Ledger cursed lowly, lowering his gun. Immediately, he and Sydney broke into a run, both heading for the different cars, bypassing the smoking remains of the third car.

                “Wait!” Ruwani yelled, starting to run after them. “You can’t leave us here!” She yelled. But the two knights had already disappeared into the rain of the night, both of them breaking off in the direction of the turned vehicles.

                Sydney jumped over the small collection of trashcans between her and the side street. Her black trench coat trailed behind her as she ran. The giant SUV had stopped, its doors flared open like missile bays. The men were just beginning to unload.

                Ledger came running out from around the corner of the building, his shotgun held in both his hands as he barreled along. Running diagonally, he raced across the wide side of the SUV, his aim kept steady as the doors were kicked open.

                Sydney rushed right for the closest door, heading for the passenger’s side rear door. The first man was just getting out.

                Ledger took careful aim. The first target stepped out of the open doors of the SUV.

He cocked his gun.

                Sydney rushed straight at the man. As he stepped out, though, she torqued her body to the side, jamming her ice pick gripped short sword right at his throat. The angle of the impact would tear into his neck, very possibly slicing his entire head off. The dame was already planning where she would move to next, to take out the next target as she moved around the vehicle to completely devastate . . .

                A rock-hard grip slammed into her forearm, grabbing hold of her sword hand.

                Ledger squeezed his trigger with the delicacy of a conductor bringing his baton down on the last notes of a Beethoven symphony.

                The gun fired out. But this time, the solid slug simply tore into the door of the car. The passenger had already rolled out.

                Ledger turned his gun to aim at the man, but the lightning quick figure was up in an eye blink, rushing at Ledger. He kicked the knight’s gun hand with his left leg, then dropped it down, to spin around, roundhousing at Ledger’s head with his right.

                Ledger let his gun fall from his hand, coming up underneath the spinning kick. He brought his right arm swinging up in a wide arc, palm up, coming within inches of the soldier’s nose. That forced the man back just a step, giving Ledger the room to bring his left hand up in a textbook boxing upper cut. The blow was blocked at the elbow.

                Ledger’s eyes shot over to the other soldier who was next to him. All six had poured out of the SUV, with still more coming out like devil clowns from a circus car.

                And they were all crowding around Ledger.

                Sydney spun around, her arm still held by the soldier’s. She slammed her right foot into the side of the SUV, thrusting herself away from the vehicle. The man’s grip didn’t give soon enough and both he and Sydney were thrown from the vehicle. But as Sydney landed on her feet, the man landed on his hands, flipping up to his feet.

                “Look.” Sydney said to the man, her swords held at forty-five degree angels in front of her. “I’m Sydney, dame of this city.” The man stood up, his eyes dark and murderous as he glared at her. “I’ve been a knight for longer than I care to remember.” She snickered. “So, what chance do you have?”

                The man smiled. He pointed over Sydney’s shoulder.                 She glanced back, at the nine men who had climbed out of the SUV. “Apparently, a pretty good one.” She said, swallowing hard.

                Ledger parried a kick to his abdomen with his left arm, blocking a punch to his face with his right. He turned his body towards the thug that was directly in front of him, slamming out a fast side kick to the man’s knee, then to the man’s head.

                The man to his right grabbed his arm.

                The man in front of him grabbed his leg.

                The two hoisted Ledger into the air, throwing him up high.

                The black knight dropped back down onto the wet pavement hard, landing on his shoulder. But rather than fall down completely, the knight spun around, kicking at the two nearest men, knocking them both to their feet. With a fast, powerful yank of his body, Ledger flipped up to his feet, ready to fight.

                Sydney ran straight up the side of the building, flipping off the brick surface after her third step. Jamming down with both her short swords, she drove both the blades down in rapid-fire thrusts. The two blades shot down, stabbing into one of the ten thugs’ neck, tearing through his flesh as if it was butter. The momentum of her jump however, curled her over him, jagging through the wounds while at the same time carrying Sydney through the air so that she could land on the roof of the SUV.

                Landing in her stance, Sydney held her swords ready.

                The first thug rumbled up the hood of the car, grabbing at Sydney’s legs before he was even on the roof. The dame got a running start, running right towards him. Before the soldier could respond, Sydney stepped up onto his head, jumping off the vehicle. With the same motion, she kicked back at the man’s neck, driving his face into the car’s ceiling so hard, the windshield cracked with the impact.

                Ledger threw a hard punch right at one man’s neck, collapsing his windpipe in one punch. The man stumbled back, unable to breath. In the same motion, Ledger threw his elbow back in the other direction, slamming into another man’s face. The blow knocked him down onto the ground.

                Ledger recovered instantly, readying himself. Another thug swung at him, this time with a knife, but the knight parried it easily, slamming the instep of his foot into the thug’s armpit. A loud crack resounded through the rain as the man’s shoulder bent up as his arm fell down.

                But Ledger didn’t even pause. He turned again, looking for the next fight.