China TOwn. Lost Haven. Feat Rachel vs Jade Spider Triads "You lost lady?" A voice rang out from the alleyway. A man stepped out off the shadows. He was wearing a charcoal black suit and rocked facial hair that would make a hong kong movie from the 80's embarassed. His hands were tucked into the opposite sleeves. There was some grunting laughter from around Rachel as others stepped out from the shadows. These were more casually dressed, some in regular street clothes. Others in what could be buisness casual, only none wore the suit jacket and most had their sleeves up to show off the intricate spiderweb tattoes. "This here is Jade Spider territory. And there is a tax to move on these streets night time." The man in the suit said, not showing his hands but stepping a bit closer. "You get me?" [i][color=indianred]'Shit!'[/color][/i] Rach spat inwardly. She was still heated from her conversation with the virus, a fact she contributed to her riled up emotions despite the fact it happened so fast and distrubingly easily. The woman might've been a hot tempered bitch at times but she had some restraint when being baited into a fight. Her eyes focused on the men emerging from around the scene and seemed to encircle her, her figure now penned in shortly afterward. Her mask has defaulted back to its original state and for a moment, she was glad she couldn't be recogonized. It might not be the case for long though as not many individuals bled black blood. Inhaling, she slowly folded up her arms to cross over her chest with her hips cocked in waiting. Naturally she spoke, her voice unmodified since she still hadn't figured how Gabe had done it, to the 'King of Siam' who had spoken to her earlier. [color=indianred] "Yeah, but sadly you're a bit out of luck. Used the last of my change on some cheap ramen noodles and got nothing on me. Though, I'll be blunt. Can't say I'm familiar with your name nor do I want to. Now, could you move or do I need to do it for you?"[/color] "Sassy. Shame. But we got many places for a girl with a mouth on her. If Madam don't break you, I know people who can. " The man said as he circled her to the left. "Move us?" He spoke silently, and some venom crept into his voice. He spread his hands, a chain seemed to materialize out of thin air. "With a attitude like that, you are either a meta or plain dumb." [i][color=indianred] 'Great... he had to be a meta, didn't he? The bastard upstairs just couldn't give me a break, could he? Of course not. Where is robo boy when I actually need him now?'[/color][/i] [color=indianred] "My biggest strength was never being smart, I'll admit."[/color] Rach didn't like the way he spoke, a clear indication she wasn't going to like their plans, and sorely started to wish she hadn't shut off her extra sensory abilities at this very time. The mention of breaking her riled her pride and will, her head turned to face the speaker with a glare. Pain as they were, namely with focus, they had saved her a few times in limiting the damage when she could manage to multitask. Inwardly monitoring and manually controlling your own senses wasn't nearly as easy as it sounded, all the while still trying to interact with the world, and she often kept it off for her own sanity. This fight was going to be hellish she realized while trying to debate on what to do. Unlike Gabe, she wasn't sure how much damage they could take before they went down and last thing she wanted was to kill them. She could feel her virus rolling his eyes over her mental statement. Ignoring Michael's reaction, she debated on what to do to get out of this situation. "Meta then." The man said, suprisingly levelheaded for a thug. Something nasty flashed in the back of the man eyes. A terrible intent. They didn't attack like in the movies, didn't move in one and one. These were streetfighting thugs. They came at her as a mob. They didn't care about gender. They realized she was tougher then she looked and with the tension lately they didn't wish to take so many chances. The chain shot out, wrapping around one of Racheli's ankles, tugging her legs out from under her. One man smashed a lead pipe towards her other leg. Another smashed her over the mouth with a set of knuckle dusters. This was in the very start of the fight. Rach was a scrapper by nature, but even she preferred it to be a one on one match. A mob... hellish dangerous and she was forced right in the thick of one, thanks to her shitty luck. She went down easily, her foot tugged backwards and her balance shifted forward causing her to hit the asphalt hard. She didn't even fight the force of gravitiy as she activated her metal manipulation in a few moments. Too bad it didn't stop all the damage, her head turned just when she spotted a knuckle duster sandwich into her teeth and took it in the cheek bone. Not brillant but she would mend quicker than the average human and the pain was more tolerable. Her legs felt the impact of the lead pipe across them causing her ball up in reaction, the next strike meeting metal contact when her skin was suddenly harder than it should've been. She didn't have much training in physical fighting, Justine too busy and Gabe focused primarily on her ability to actually control her 'gift'. Without thinking too hard, her hand ripped off one of her glove then started to become grey. Her foot kicked out against the nearest guy's knee cap in an attempt to bring down to her level as her fingers started to flatten and sharpen, looking like five blades for slicing. She struck out blindly. The feel of metal on metal is not a pleasant one. Especially if you are the one holding a blunt object without preperation for it. The man almost dropped his pipe from the shock. The vibrations had clearly been felt. He stepped back. "This bitch turns in to metal." He said only for sickening crunch to interupt them as the one to punch Racheli screamed and clutched his knee. Metal kicks turned out to be much worse. That knee had popped like a grape in the oven. Rach flinched, instinctive, at the sound popping from the impact. She realized too late she might've went a little too hard with her kick and not accounted for the fact her metal leg was much stronger in power when it landed. It still felt satisfying though. "Then we choke her." The man in the suit simply said as he created another as one of the goons danced away from the slicing fingers. It only tore his jeans a little. The ankle chain untangled and whipped back only to smash down on the top of her head with major force. The woman barely had any warning when the metal came down on her skull. Her arm raised and head lowered to the ground, shielding her from the blow. The metal managed to move into place just before the impact but didn't harden quite fast enough. Pain errupted along her arm, the bone felt like it cracked a bit, causing her bite down on her scream. The pipe wielder retreated as another came into try and smash her back with a wooden bat. Shattering on her frame. That's when a voice rang out from across the street. "You lot are must feel real big right now." The voice said. It was old, but held a fire that would make the pits of hell blush. "How many, eight? Against one girl who is clearly lost." The woman moved with easy steps and looked as limber as a panther despite her clearly advanced age. Two of the triads turned to stare at the approaching thai woman. One of them began to walk towards her with a smile that was sheer predatory. He held a long blade in his hand. The second he was in arms length, that smile vanished. As he was about to stop her, her fist smashed into his arm right by the shoulder, and her elbow went right into the solar plexus. The man coughed once before her knee made coughing into weezing, smashing his nose with a knee. "I will give you lot ten seconds to clear." She said with a scoff. The second man hesitated. The rest, including the suit watched with interest. Rach looked up when the beating ceased. She was sore, though the damage would've been worse if she was human, and her figure slowly started to climb back to her feet. Her balance was off and it took several moments for her to get firmly upright. She couldn't help mumbling. [color=indianred] "She's a bit wrong about the girl part."[/color] The second man to a proper fighting stance. Gone was the thug fighter, like a proper Jade Spider he was trained in forms of kung fu. His kicks were hard and fast, but he was too stiff, to osuprised by his friends sudden knockout. The woman checked a kick with the barest of winces and stomped his foot so hard you heard the bone crack. The man yelped but took a knee to the gut and a elbow to the temple before going down. The old lady shook her leg lightly. "I am growing too old for this." She mumbled. "Can you fight girl?" She asked Racheli as three more thugs disengaged from the mobbing of the Meta to focus on the lady. [color=indianred] "The damn truth? I can, but I honestly don't want to kill them."[/color] Stated bluntly, revealing the fact she hadn't been going full out and wondered if any of them actually caught that little tidbit. She was getting pissed at the situation over all. First her ass was handed to her by a bunch of street thugs and now she was getting rescued by a little old lady that had better ku fung than she did. The day was just...fucking perfect. Mr Charcoal suit stepped back and created more chains. Eyes never leaving Racheli. "Kill us huh. Oh well. Thank you for the consideration. Sadly I was never much of a gentleman." Suddenly a chain wrapped around Rachelis throat. "I will have you take a nap now." The woman stopped then said in a calm tone. "Focus your metal in your left wrist and wrap your hand around the chain and pull. Punch with the human fist. Aim for his nose." [color=indianred] "Little bit of an issue.. I might end up punching his nose [i]through[/i] his skull."[/color] Rach snapped, annoyed by the fact the woman didn't obviously understand her issues. Her throat tightened while the chain wrapped about it causing her airway to constrict, depriving her of air. She managed, surprisingly with ease, to keep them from tightening further. She stood her ground with her eyes glaring at him as she spoke. [color=indianred] "As for you, you piece of shit. It's actually not because I care and you'll have to do a lot better than that."[/color] "Imagine you are punching a ugly kitten then." The lady shrugged a she dodged a thugs baseball bat, and smacked her fist in the mans throat. "Control in a fight is useless without force." She said as she kicked another mans leg to the side and kneed him in the face. She moved with purpose. "Use metal for defence, normal for offence. Can you do that? Open palm strikes if you are to afraid to use your fists." She barely dodged the lead pipe guys attacked and had to step back again. She remained calm still but it was clear number still counted for something. [color=indianred] "Don't you think I would've done that already?...Damn it, I've already busted one guy's knee cap because I underestimated my strength and not fond of brains being scattered across the street."[/color] Mr Suit however, had about enough. Suddenly a storm of chains whipped about Rach, hitting her all over at speeds to fast to properly dodge or absorb. "You're stronger then you look. But I noticed your metal doesn't cover all of you. I will shred you bitch. Then grandma there is gonna die nice and slow." Rach felt the chains slam into her body. They hit her from different angles and without warning, her eyes widened as she tried to repluse them magnetically. She immediately regretted her statment afterwards if she was going to be mauled by this shit. "His footing. If you don't wanna hit him. Then hit the ground!" Bak May shouted as she was being cornered by the remaining thugs. She took a stance unlike she had before. "I am sorry boys. But I rather I live than you." She had steel in her eyes. Rach's hands had long ago let go of the chain on her neck. Her metal trying to cover her ass but missing several strikes, her skin brusing and busy trying to repair herself. It was only so fast however. She didn't need the air to breath, but damn it she enjoyed it and it made her feel human. Besides it seemed her brain didn't agree with the fact Gabe had told her and already, she g. Knowing she was going to hurt like hell later, she focused her mental about her hand. Her fist solidified into a metal, flexible glove. Then she dropped to her right knee. Her fist slammed into the asphalt at an angle, causing it to shatter and break apart. Spiderwebs of cracks webbed out and toward the man attacking her. She didn't even hold back in her attack when she hit. The street they were on shook, and cars began beeping with light and noise as car alarms were set off. The chains stopped coming as everyone was knocked to their feet. All but the old lady. Bak May as she was called had jumped just as the fist impacted. Somehow, the cunning old lady had realized it would be one hell of a impact. The now struggling to get up thugs were soon kicked across their jaws and faces and stomped to the ground with impunity. When only Mr Suit and Chains were left, she strolled up. "Nine." She said, as if she was resuming her counting from when she just arrived. The look she had on her face was one of holy, rightous wrath. Rach just crouched there. Her figured brusied and torn, a trail of black liquid seeped from under her mask. It dripped down as she rose upright, [color=indianred] "Shit... fuck, I'm surprised that worked."[/color] Her mask peeled back the lower half long enough for her to wipe her busted lip. "I didn't know you were THAT strong, girl. Now." She looked to the man who was begining to reatreat. "TELL YOUR MASTERS LITTLE THAILAND IS OFF LIMITS." She shouted at the retreating form. [color=indianred] "That's why I didn't want to punch him in the face. The kick I gave earlier was more of a jerk reflex than applying force."[/color] "You have a good heart then, girl. And a clear enough mind. What is your name?" [color=indianred] "It's not because of him or that I value everyone's life that I chose not to kill. I have... personal reasons for it. And well, getting myself beaten up when I was human tends to help."[/color] Rach stated, then paused when her name was requested. She considered using her normal name but Gabe had made it very clear an alias was better. Especially with everyone and their brother wanting to get into good favor with the Cowl. She didn't even know how far that desire extended here in ChinaTown and honestly, didn't want to know. [color=indianred] "My friends call me... Nemesis."[/color] The name sounded worse when spoken outloud to her. "...Your friend call you their mortal, eternal enemy? I hate to know what your enemies call you then." The woman said, suprisingly calm at such an absurd nickname. "Still. I guess it beats The Cabbie." She took the woman's hand and looked her in the eyes. "You find your punches hard to pull, yes? I trained enough teenage boys to know what that is like. Do you have a place to stay?" [color=indianred] "How in the hell... Never mind, I don't want to fuckng know. She must be a taxi driver from New York."[/color] Rach mumbled. [color=indianred] "I'm still learning. As for the place, no but I'll figure something out. It's not like I need food, water or sleep anymore so I'll be fine."[/color] Rach started to pull away, her defenses rising upright and fixing in place. It was a habit, something she couldn't help and truthfully it protected others from discovering what a monster she was. "Nonsense. I don't care if you are buddha himself come to tell me my religion is wrong. Or if you are the Holy Mother. Everyone ENJOY eating. And sleeping. And having a place to stay. You are now my guest. You wouldn't break a old lady's heart, would you?" Rach inwardly groaned. The woman was starting to remind her of her Aunt causing a slight guilt in rise in her over the desire to push away. [color=indianred] "It's honestly safer. They aren't the only people I've pissed off and there's really nothing in for you, so it's rather pointless to me to want to offer a place to a complete stranger."[/color] "Do you wish to hurt others?" She said, putting her hands on her hips. A stern look in her eyes. "You don't. But you are strong. Powerful like a small god. I know a girl like that. She is stubborn. She doesn't want to bother others. Her guilt eats her up inside." She said. "She came to be stronger. You don't need that. You are strong enough. But you lack control, you lack foundation. You lack ground to stand on." She said, seeing trough Rach with suprising ease. [color=indianred] "More like damn practice."[/color] Rach muttered under her breath. "I offer you not because I don't think it will be a bother. But because it is what I should do. You were delivered to me, and besides. You put some shame into these boys. They won't forget it any time soon." At the words practice she gave a toothy grin. [color=indianred] "I can't say I have as much faith in the man upstairs as you for me being here."[/color] Rach said grudgingly. She still blamed the asshole for her current status. "You are talking to a multiple world champion in Thai Boxing, girl. You can leave at any time. And I promise if you endanger to much, I will tell you politely to leave so your guilt ridden ass can get going without problem." She scoffed. [color=indianred] "I won't be here long and likely only during the day because I do have things I have to do. However.. fuck, I can't believe I'm doing this, but I do need time to figure that out. At least call a few friends for some places I can stay during the day."[/color] Rach's instincts were screaming at her to change her mind, a familiar anxiety buidling in her chest. This was a bad idea... her senses seemed to scream but she ignored it. She didn't have any other choice if she wanted to stay underground during the day. "Exellent. I wonder. Do you like thai food." She said as she led Rach away from prying eyes and confused newly awakened citizens. [color=indianred] "Had it only once."[/color] Rach answered, then followed.