1 week later, somewhere in Las Vegas
(Part 1 of the Way of the Warrior)
Kathryn leaped from one rooftop to another. The distance was easily covered due to her running start. She landed a little clumsily due to the gravel she didn’t expect. She grunted as she corrected herself and kept moving forward. Each step taken stretched her thighs and she fought to maintain even breathing, as Daikar taught her. On the Grand Battler, he was several strides ahead of her and seemed to glide across the uneven terrain at the top of the city. Still, Kathryn’s black boots hugged her thighs and ankles well enough to help her keep up the pace to her mentor.
Las Vegas
They did not have to look far: a scream pierced the dimming night, followed by the woman’s vocal attempt to struggle against being silenced. Daikar skid to a halt and spun toward the sound. Kathryn’s enhanced hearing lead her in the direction he was looking and she kicked off a pipe to launch her into the air. She curved her body as if diving into water and disappeared between the buildings. Daikar leapt after her, feet first.
Kathryn folded herself to reposition her legs and bounded off the side the opposite building and captured the scene before her. A thug, dressed in dark colored clothing, had dragged a woman into the valley. He had her pinned to the ground and successfully removed her blouse, obviously by force. One hand covered her mouth, while the other was working to clear a path between her legs. He didn’t know about the red-haired woman, or the blond-haired man above him until his victim stopped struggling with open wide eyes.
For Kathryn, her speed gave her just enough time to absorb the scene in her mind, remember her experience, register the flash of anger and disgust, and formulate a plan of attack. Another second and she would crash to the pavement, but she absorbed the whistle in her ear from her motion and projected the sound waves forward like an invisible cushion. She slowed enough to roll forward and put her feet in front. Her boots pointed forward, with arms outstretched to either side, she connected with the thug at his shoulder. He was thrown into the wall of the building with a crack and his body went limp. Kathryn landed straddling the woman, as if to replace the thug. One hand quickly covered the woman’s mouth, the other coming to Kathryn’s lips telling the woman to remain quiet.
Daikar lands with a heavy thud, scaring the woman further. He recovers and calmly walks to Kathryn, putting a hand to her shoulder. She continues to look at the woman and says, “Be more careful in the night. We are here to help, you are safe now. If I let go, will you scream?”
The woman looks into Kathryn’s eye and frantically shakes her head. Kathryn slowly releases and the woman, through tear-soaked eyes and trembling lips whispers, “Thank you” and starts to slide away from Kathryn who has stood, watching the unmoving but still breathing, criminal.
Daikar removed his jacket and offered it to the woman, who accepted it with a weak smile. She forgets her ruined blouse in the alley and disappears around the corner, her shuffling footsteps turned to running. When he turns back to his pupil he sees Kathryn standing over the unconscious thug. Then she raises a fist and punches into the thug’s face, almost burying it in the concrete. Blood splatters on her boots.
“What are you doing?!” He voice boomed in the alley.
“Justice.”
(Part 1 of the Way of the Warrior)
Kathryn leaped from one rooftop to another. The distance was easily covered due to her running start. She landed a little clumsily due to the gravel she didn’t expect. She grunted as she corrected herself and kept moving forward. Each step taken stretched her thighs and she fought to maintain even breathing, as Daikar taught her. On the Grand Battler, he was several strides ahead of her and seemed to glide across the uneven terrain at the top of the city. Still, Kathryn’s black boots hugged her thighs and ankles well enough to help her keep up the pace to her mentor.
They did not have to look far: a scream pierced the dimming night, followed by the woman’s vocal attempt to struggle against being silenced. Daikar skid to a halt and spun toward the sound. Kathryn’s enhanced hearing lead her in the direction he was looking and she kicked off a pipe to launch her into the air. She curved her body as if diving into water and disappeared between the buildings. Daikar leapt after her, feet first.
Kathryn folded herself to reposition her legs and bounded off the side the opposite building and captured the scene before her. A thug, dressed in dark colored clothing, had dragged a woman into the valley. He had her pinned to the ground and successfully removed her blouse, obviously by force. One hand covered her mouth, while the other was working to clear a path between her legs. He didn’t know about the red-haired woman, or the blond-haired man above him until his victim stopped struggling with open wide eyes.
For Kathryn, her speed gave her just enough time to absorb the scene in her mind, remember her experience, register the flash of anger and disgust, and formulate a plan of attack. Another second and she would crash to the pavement, but she absorbed the whistle in her ear from her motion and projected the sound waves forward like an invisible cushion. She slowed enough to roll forward and put her feet in front. Her boots pointed forward, with arms outstretched to either side, she connected with the thug at his shoulder. He was thrown into the wall of the building with a crack and his body went limp. Kathryn landed straddling the woman, as if to replace the thug. One hand quickly covered the woman’s mouth, the other coming to Kathryn’s lips telling the woman to remain quiet.
Daikar lands with a heavy thud, scaring the woman further. He recovers and calmly walks to Kathryn, putting a hand to her shoulder. She continues to look at the woman and says, “Be more careful in the night. We are here to help, you are safe now. If I let go, will you scream?”
The woman looks into Kathryn’s eye and frantically shakes her head. Kathryn slowly releases and the woman, through tear-soaked eyes and trembling lips whispers, “Thank you” and starts to slide away from Kathryn who has stood, watching the unmoving but still breathing, criminal.
Daikar removed his jacket and offered it to the woman, who accepted it with a weak smile. She forgets her ruined blouse in the alley and disappears around the corner, her shuffling footsteps turned to running. When he turns back to his pupil he sees Kathryn standing over the unconscious thug. Then she raises a fist and punches into the thug’s face, almost burying it in the concrete. Blood splatters on her boots.
“What are you doing?!” He voice boomed in the alley.
“Justice.”
“You can’t kill him.” He starts to walk toward Kathryn, she doesn’t look back.
“Why not? He deserves a lesson, even if it kills him.”
“Killing is against the law. We don’t break the law in our service of it.”
Kathryn spun, fury boiling from her face. “That’s bullshit! This man will be set free and do it again. Who knows how many victims he has notched on his bed post. It is our duty to do what can’t be done in public.”
Daikar pointed at Kathryn’s chest, “Then you are nothing more than a vigilante and a murderer. What would killing this man do for you?”
Kathryn rolled her eye and looked to the dark sky, knowing her next word would spark a discussion. But realizing that started to calm her and take her away from the moment. “Satisfaction.”
“Then what? What can you do with that satisfaction?” Daikar lowers his arm and takes a step forward.
She looked to Daikar. “For personal glory. The glory of knowing I helped the world be rid the city, and the world of one more criminal, one more rapist.”
“Then what? And for what?”
Kathryn thought for a moment. “To instill fear in those who would commit crime.”
“Then what? You can’t do more than kill. That’ll be your limit. Thus, fear of you can only go so far.”
Kathryn turns her back on the thug and takes a step. “Then what can we do? Torture and killing is against the law.” She mocks the discussion by making the rabbit ears with both hands.
Daikar lifts the thug into a sitting position. Blood flowed slowly from his mouth and nose, his eyes already showed bruising from Kathryn attack. “Mercy and life can do more for you throughout your existence and beyond.” He turns the Kathryn, a serious expression etched in his face and voice. “Your NAME will live longer than you because of what you DO. Glory in life is its own reward.”
He stands and looks back at the thug with pity on his lips, “There is no glory in killing.”
“Why not? He deserves a lesson, even if it kills him.”
“Killing is against the law. We don’t break the law in our service of it.”
Kathryn spun, fury boiling from her face. “That’s bullshit! This man will be set free and do it again. Who knows how many victims he has notched on his bed post. It is our duty to do what can’t be done in public.”
Daikar pointed at Kathryn’s chest, “Then you are nothing more than a vigilante and a murderer. What would killing this man do for you?”
Kathryn rolled her eye and looked to the dark sky, knowing her next word would spark a discussion. But realizing that started to calm her and take her away from the moment. “Satisfaction.”
“Then what? What can you do with that satisfaction?” Daikar lowers his arm and takes a step forward.
She looked to Daikar. “For personal glory. The glory of knowing I helped the world be rid the city, and the world of one more criminal, one more rapist.”
“Then what? And for what?”
Kathryn thought for a moment. “To instill fear in those who would commit crime.”
“Then what? You can’t do more than kill. That’ll be your limit. Thus, fear of you can only go so far.”
Kathryn turns her back on the thug and takes a step. “Then what can we do? Torture and killing is against the law.” She mocks the discussion by making the rabbit ears with both hands.
Daikar lifts the thug into a sitting position. Blood flowed slowly from his mouth and nose, his eyes already showed bruising from Kathryn attack. “Mercy and life can do more for you throughout your existence and beyond.” He turns the Kathryn, a serious expression etched in his face and voice. “Your NAME will live longer than you because of what you DO. Glory in life is its own reward.”
He stands and looks back at the thug with pity on his lips, “There is no glory in killing.”
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