Ethereal Madness

Chapter 25- Battle Of The Four Trashmen

  I stiffened my sore arms and forced my arms into fists.

Bang shot me a cheeky grin and got into a fighting stance. "Hmph."

Naia just kept switching focus between me and Bang, like she saw something we didn't.

"Yeah, about time someone interestin' came around!" Nico was the next to threaten me with a gun. Without warning, Bang swiped the gun out of the guy's hand. "What the heck!" He roared.

Bang aimed the gun at him. "I know you heard me, Nico. Shoot him and I'm poppin one right up your butt."

Weird. Its like he has a twisted sense of honor.

"Pfft, whatever." Nico tossed the gun away and Bang mimicked him.

"Ready princess?"

She nodded.

That must've meant the green light for him, because he took off immediately.

I readied myself. Even if I can't fight like earlier, I should be able to handle these three.

Bang attacked me with the most honest punch I'd ever seen. No tricks, mind games, no feigning; just a fist to the face. I blocked it easily and counterattacked with a hard uppercut. However, before it landed, Bang got dragged back. Before he could recover, I stepped close to him and launched a knee. I didn't get halfway to him when a pair of skinny hands appeared and pushed my knee down.

She's interfering with my attacks?

It was now that I realized I didn't see Nico. I glanced where he was at before but he was fine. Something told me that he was behind me and I spun around and kicked where I thought his head was. Luckily for him, I was maybe half a centimeter from making him go night-night.  He moved in to continue his attack but I transitioned into a rushed axe kick to catch him by surprise. It was about to connect when my arm was suddenly pulled back. It threw me off balanced and it took all my concentration to stay standing. I yanked my arm forward and Naia stumbled in front of me. I pushed her at Nico and while I don't know what he was about to do, in the end it didn't matter. A force rammed into my back and I took a few steps forward. I aimed a surprise tornado kick behind me but Bang was already squatted on the ground. He charged at me but I finished my rotation and back kicked him in what felt like his stomach. He stumbled back but his grin returned.

"This is how it should be."

Bang popped his neck and greeted me with a focused expression so intense it was hard to believe it was the same guy. In the corner of my eyes, Nico and Naia were ready to act at any moment. Bang exploded at me, entering my inner circle and chaining one attack after another. While they weren't too hard to dodge, it left me little room to counterattack. Not to mention, having to watch behind me incase the other two do something. Then, out of nowhere, a shoe was headed towards my face. I caught it last minute, and swung Nico at Bang. Bang pushed him aside and ran up on me. I dropped him and went to match his attack. I feigned a forward strike, but he didn't bother dodging or blocking and decked me in the cheek. I retaliated with a right hook but once again my fist was caught by Naia. I powered through her but her interference gave him more than enough time to get out of the way. I took a step towards her but she was already out of reach. I glanced on the ground and Nico was missing again.

Jeez, this is annoying.

Nico was the first to move. I don't know where he went, but when I saw be was gone, I dashed at Bang. He didn't seem bothered by it, and just stood there, awaiting me. I charged up a right, and he dodged it at the least second possible. I followed up with a left and like the first time, he waited till the fist was close to scraping his cheek to move away. I transitioned into a knee but he easily stepped to the side and avoided it. He raised up his foot to go for a poor man's kick, and I kept my foot to block. Before I knew it, he had stomped his foot to the ground, lunged over and smashed just above my ear. My brain rattled like a dodgeball between two people and I took a step back, immediately feeling two arms wrap around my neck once I did.