Cascade

12 - Trouble

12 - Trouble

Claire grabbed Melissa, dashed to the side, and ducked. Two pipes bounced off one another as they tumbled, falling to either side of the girls. A third slammed against to other two, narrowly missing the two girls as they crouched to the floor.

Claire hardly had enough time to straighten up before she was violently kicked in the jaw and sent spinning over the conduit pile, sliding across the floor. Melissa, likewise was caught in the stomach and was launched over the scattered pile of pipes. She slammed into the gate around the hole in the floor.

Claire grimaced, realizing her jaw was dislocated. With a grunt, she snapped it back into place and rose to her feet. Melissa remained slumped against railing, struggling to get up.

Alice strode towards Melissa, gracefully leaping over the conduit sections which lay in her path. Claire sprinted forward. With no time to go around the many pipes strewn about, she leaped on top of them, jumping from one to another like a frog hopping across lily pads. Coming down from above, Claire put all the force she could muster into a strong downward swing, coming in at the back of Alice’s head. Alice spun around, raising her arm, and Claire’s power punch landed a blow directly upon Alice’s flexed and tungsten-carbon woven forearm.

Claire felt the knuckles and fingers in her fist fracture. The impact hadn’t moved Alice in the slightest. Claire nearly crumpled to the ground in pain, but was seized by the neck and slammed against the wall of the conduit piping behind her. Alice closed her fingers around Claire’s throat like a hydraulic press.

Melissa flexed her arm. Her bionics amped up her blood with adrenaline, and her veins bulged with pressure. She darted forward into the fray.

Without even looking behind her, Alice sent a powerful backhand at her assailant. Melissa caught Alice’s hand, pushing back with her overcharged muscles. She extended the needle from her other hand and shot it towards Alice’s neck.

Alice continued her grip upon Claire, and threw a kick into Melissa’s gut which sent her sliding back towards the railing.

Claire’s pulse pounded in her ears, and she felt light headed. Her repeated kicks to Alice’s stomach went unnoticed. Her vision faded around the edges, and Claire flung her hands towards Alice’s face. She dug a thumb into her opponents eye, and Alice jerked back in pain, clutching at her head. Claire tumbled to the floor and gasped for breath.

“Run!” She called towards Melissa. Alice stomped down towards Claire, smashing her foot into the concrete as Claire just managed to roll out of the way. Melissa scrambled to her feet again and dashed towards the edge of the room. Claire backed up to the railing and stood at the ready as Alice approached.

Claire tensed as she saw Alice curl her hands into fists. Her attacks were swift, but Claire’s reflexes were just fast enough to dodge the onslaught. Her enhanced nervous system cut her reaction time short enough to evade the jabs and swings of the high speed strikes. Claire knew she could not dodge forever. Her survival was now only a matter of timing.

With the proper footwork, Claire had retreated between a piping section and the railing. Alice noticed a clear advantage. Dashing with lightning speed, Alice bounded of the side of the piping, coming down on Claire from above. Claire twitched to the side, letting Alice’s attack sweep past her to the floor. She caught Alice from underneath, slammed her against the railing, and flung her over the side.

Alice never even flinched, but instead, held firm to the railing and swung back. She tucked her legs in and slipped underneath the bottom bar, sliding along the floor. By the time Claire turned back around, Alice was to her feet, storming forward once more.