Put On Your Red Shoes

[solar_flare]

WHO: Yang Xiao Long
WHAT: Now that Ruby's feeling better, Yang's cutting loose and enjoying herself hitting all the clubs.
WHEN: December 26, 2013 - Evening
WHERE: Genessia City - Nightclubs


The city was fairly sleepy during the daytime, Yang noticed. Some people went to and from work, and some visited businesses, but all in all it was still pretty quiet. When dark dropped, the lights went up, and the steady bass thump from dance clubs and bars could be heard from about a dozen places ranging from not-so-seedy to downright gross.

Yang aimed for one of the nicer clubs, somewhere that people with cash to spend might want to go for a few drinks and a few dances. She went on foot, as the motorcycle she was working on at Dean's shop still needed some more repairs and a new splash of paint before it'd be ready to take on the streets.

The chill of the winter air was chased away as she stepped into the heat of the club, and she unzipped her jacket. She'd warm herself up plenty soon enough, especially when she hit the dance floor.

Already her heart was beating fast with anticipation. Time to go have some fun!

Comments

[solar_flare]

The sharp retort of gunfire is enough to send people screaming toward the exit. Yang flips up the table for cover, because that's what any decent action hero would do.

But Yang's not satisfied to cower out of sight. She lined up her fists against the table just so, then fired. Did action heroes ever send a heavy oak table rocketing at top speed toward their opponents? Because that's what Yang totally just did.

That should take care of the gunfire for now, she thought, locking her eyes on her target. She didn't care what was in that briefcase, even if it contained a fortune of Dust. She wanted him, and nothing was going to stop her from getting her hands on him.

[genpcs_a]

And as the big table comes rocketing through the air toward them, both guards lower their firearms, jaws dropping. They both have just enough time to trade another look before the table crashes into them, totally creaming both of them.

Now there's only one guy left, and he's already booking it. Yang might have just enough time to see a silvery briefcase vanish through an emergency exist behind the bar before the door slams shut.

[solar_flare]

Tch...! Fast, even for a cockroach! That just meant there would be one less trashed nightclub, for which the owner would likely be grateful for if he had any inkling of Yang's reputation.

Not trusting the exit to be completely free of traps and ambushes hastily thrown to cover his tracks, Yang instead hustled for the front exit. She vaulted to the top of the stairs and kicked open the doors, pushing through the panicked fleeing crowds until she could dart down the alley. Maybe if she were lucky, she could cut him off. The look of surprise on his face would be so sweet.

[genpcs_a]

It's a good plan and as she heads around to the alley, she finds herself face to face with a certain cockroach who skids to a stop at the sight of her. He scowls and brings up the hand not holding the briefcase, holding his palm out toward her.

And a blindingly bright red beam burns out of it, disintegrating the leather glove over his hand and most of his sleeve into burning cinders, revealing nothing but heavy, silvery metal where flesh and blood should be.

The beam hisses as it passes through the air and... everything else, scything through asphalt, brick and metal like a hot knife through butter and sweeping right at Yang.

[solar_flare]

She was right; the look on his face was extremely satisfying. The laser beam of death? Not so much!

"Whoa-ho!" Yang ducked as the scarlet beam swept over her head. She didn't have time to dally, and there was no telling how long he could keep firing that thing. She launched herself at him bodily, grabbing for his forearm to throw his hand skyward as she tried to wrestle him to the ground.

What the hell kind of henchmen was this M guy employing, anyway?

[genpcs_a]

Only the very best of course.

The laser only lasts for a few seconds but by the time it's done firing the alley is crisscrossed with smoldering lines carved right out of everything it struck.

He grunts a little when Yang grabs hold of his arm, but then a wicked grin spreads across his face. He quickly gives up the laser and instead jerks his arm down with surprising strength, grabbing onto her wrist and effortlessly tossing her up into the air only to slam her down hard on the concrete.

[solar_flare]

"UGH--!"

She hits the ground hard, the power of her aura the only thing cushioning her from getting plastered with bruises. Okay, not exactly an ordinary henchman. She peels herself off of the sidewalk, and jerks back her elbows to reload.

She'd just have to try a little harder, that's all.

Yang throws a knee at his gut, and a spinning elbow to his jaw. "Guess you're not afraid to play rough!" Good. Neither was she.

[genpcs_a]

"Hm."

The man stands back as Yang gets back to her feet, standing loosely and waiting for her to charge.

Yang comes at him like a freight train, all power and force, and mostly likely expects to be met with it as well, but that's not what happens. When Yang throws her knee and elbow her opponent flows to the side, turning with casual ease away from her blows and letting her sail past.

Her momentum gets a little boost as well when he tosses an elbow backwards between her shoulders.

"I'd rather play smart myself."

[solar_flare]

This guy was good. Scary good. No one's ever gone up against her before that managed to land so many hits, when she hasn't even managed to sock him once. What if this guy was M? What if M was even stronger than this?

Yang didn't have time for doubts. She stumbles from the blow only for a moment before swinging her fist around and firing at him point blank with her Ember Celica. See how smart he is now, friggin' punk.

[genpcs_a]

He actually makes a little sound of annoyance just before she fires off her shot. He flicks his arm and sends the briefcase skidding along the snow and then ducks under the blast with the same easy, fluid motion he'd dodged her last two blows with.

The next thing she'll see is him right in her face. He won't throw any punches or kicks, but just reach out to grab her arm again and twist. Using the mechanics of the human body and simple physics to swing her around and try to take her feet out from under her.

[solar_flare]

Guh...! There's no way any person could possibly be this good. Yang grits her teeth in annoyance, the playful and easygoing smile long gong. He's not someone she can play with, nor will she be granted any allowance for fun. If someone like this was involved in grabbing Ruby, then Yang can understand a little better how someone could manage to nab such a fierce and fast warrior.

Yang shuffles her feet trying to keep them out of the way, trying to reverse her grip on the arm that holds hers in order to change the momentum. If it isn't obvious that she's not kidding around anymore, the slight 'fwoosh' that accompanies the subdued blaze of her hair is probably a decent indication.

[genpcs_a]

It's fairly obvious that playtime is over, but then, it never started for him. This had always been a fight for her life, Yang had just caught up to that fact now.

The dance continues for a little while with both of them trying to assert their grip on the other and dodging attempts to trip each other up. Finally though, he just sighs a little and pulls his arm back with all that strength, more than enough to toss Yang through the air like a rag doll and hurl her back toward a brick wall.

"You are getting in way over your head here, kid."

[solar_flare]

Yang grunts as her shoulders slam into the unyielding bricks, her teeth grit. But when she recovers, her eyes are scarlet. Is she up against someone that can defeat her? Possibly. But as he probably realizes, Yang doesn't care. She pounds her fists together, and her hair blazes.

"You guys crossed a line that should never have been crossed," she snarls, launching herself at her opponent. Instead of barreling straight toward him, she stops just a foot shy, then zips to the right in order to drive her strikes at his side. "Like hell I'll back down! EVER!"

They'd hurt her little sister, threatened her friends, terrorized her home town. Forgiveness would never be granted to them, and neither would mercy.

[genpcs_a]

The change in her eyes gets a bit of a surprised reaction from him, as well as the blast of flame from her hair. This time, when she charges him, he actually brings his hands up to fend off her attack.

And then she dodges sharply to the left and he hisses out a breath, just turning in time to catch her first strike with his metal arm instead of his face. The hell? Where did this come from?

For the first time since the fight started, he's finally on the defensive, just holding his own against the sudden onslaught of explosive attacks, each one driving him back another step.

[solar_flare]

Finally, now she was getting somewhere. Who says violence never solved anything? They just didn't apply enough of it.

Yang was, though. And she's not letting up, not until she gets the answers she wants...the ones she deserves. M put her sister through hell, and he's going to pay for that. This guy is going to help her make sure of it.

Punch after punch comes in, varied from high to low, from jab to cross-cut. There's even a rustle of fabric as she spins to throw the heel of her boot at his jaw before she pivots and makes to slam him skyward with a rocketing punch meant to lift him clean off his feet.

[genpcs_a]

[Okay, fine, you can have the song.]

Punch after punch rained down and clashed with metal arms, but she's gaining ground. Finally, he gives a yell of his own and throws a crushing punch.

Their fists strike with an explosion and the moment hangs... and then a web of cracks spread down the bionic arm and sparks fly as it blows apart.

"I-impossible--ghrk!" The kick slams into his jaw, snapping his head back and then the punch comes. His eyes bulge and fire explodes from the impact, launching him up into the air to come down hard on the ground.

[solar_flare]

Impossible? No. Inevitable? Yes.

Her expression is almost downright cold, despite the fiery aura burning all around her, as she plows her opponent into the ground. He was down, but this wasn't over. One boot crunched into the slushy snow on his right side, then on his left, as Yang crouched over him and seized his collar to hoist him up.

"Who are you working for?" she demanded, her eyes fierce. "Who gave you the Dust? Who sent those punks?" Her grip tightened, fabric creaking in her fingers. "Give me answers and I'll let you go!"

[genpcs_a]

There's a grunt when he hauls her up, and he glares right back at her but it doesn't look like he'll be doing any more fighting. His right arm is sparking at his side and he twists his head to spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Is that what that stuff is called?" He gives her a bloody grin. "Dunno, where'd you get yours?"

[solar_flare]

Yang smiled sweetly...and crammed her knee against his groin, digging in as she kept her grip on his spoiled jacket. "Let's keep in mind who's doing the questioning, loverboy."

She lifted him up just enough to slam him down again, to shake that obnoxious self-satisfied smirk off of his face. "Don't make me ask again. I want a name, and a location! WHO IS IT?"

[genpcs_a]

Oh, that gets his attention. There's a sharp intake of breath and and his teeth grit together.

"I dunno, alright!" He gasped out after getting slammed on the ground again. "Nobody ever sees his face! He comes to us!"

He shook his head, still wincing from that knee.

"And even if we did, it's gonna take a lot more than an asskicking in an alley to get anyone to roll over on him."

[solar_flare]

"That Dust didn't just materialize out of thin air!" Yang refused to let up, not until she had at least something to go on. "Who gave it to you? Where?"

At least she knew she wasn't the only one who suspected M to be a man, but that still doesn't narrow things down enough to be useful.

[genpcs_a]

That just got a bitter laugh and a shake of his head.

"Some guy. The deal went down in a crap alley on Thistle. Just a handoff, didn't even ask for names." He shrugged. "Those are the rules, kid, and everybody plays by his rules."

[solar_flare]

Yang narrowed her eyes. It seemed like he was telling the truth. It also seemed like she wasn't going to get anything more out of him; he'd already given up everything he had.

At least she had a new location to check out.

Her grip relaxed at last as she stood to her feet, unstraddling her fallen opponent. "Not everybody." She glanced back over her shoulder with a smirk, before striding forward. Empty shells dropped from her gauntlets as she twisted her wrists, and retracted her gauntlets.

The briefcase he'd dropped was carelessly tossed backward, clattering and skidding to a stop next to the downed thug.

[genpcs_a]

He grunted when she let him go, pushing himself up.

"You think you're gonna take this guy down, huh? I got news for you, kid, you got some moves but--"

A sound cut through the air, a low buzzing almost like a bee passing over Yang's head. A buzz of movement, a sick sound of impact and his parting words stop dead with a quiet thump.

He lay on the ground, eyes staring blankly at the sky, a perfect round hole in the middle of his forehead. Blood pooling beneath him.

[solar_flare]

A sniper?!

Yang's look of shock was there for only a split second...replaced by sheer, bubbling hot rage. He was hers. She had fought him. She had won. He was her prey, and now someone dared to take that away from her?

At least she had a direction to shoot for. Her boots thudded quick and fast on the pavement as Yang began to run, flinging a fresh pair of clips into the air and thrusting out her arms to catch the reload. As soon as the bullets were back in place, she was throwing incendiary bullets, firing in the direction of the sniper. Maybe she'd have an opportunity to shake down someone a little higher up the chain.