Awakening

She woke to the sounds of echoing shots from down the nearby alleyway; they were searching for something, someone.

“I think she went down here!”

They were growing louder. She pulled herself up from the ground; an agonizing pain shooting through her abdomen as she did. Clutching her side she her hand quickly became covered in crimson. Without hesitation she began to move through the alley, away from her shouting pursuers. A misplaced step sent her tumbling toward the ground once more; knocking aside the debris and garbage scattered about the area. Before she could regain her footing a twang of fear overcame her.

“There! She’s getting away!”

She did not know why these men were chasing her, but she would not be taken by them. Instinctively she reached to her hip, drawing a sleek silvery black rifle. The men crested the corner into the alleyway, the point man quickly developing a grim expression.

“Son of a-“

With a click her rifle let out a bright shot into the man’s face, cutting him off mid curse and sending him backwards onto the ground. His companions drew their guns, letting loose a steady stream of

bullets toward her. Dancing through the shots as though they were not even present she bounded off the wall to her left. Mid-leap she brought her rifle to bare, and let loose another shot into the right most gunman’s knee. With one quick hand motion she split her rifle in two. The halves shuttered and whirred, becoming even sleeker than before; becoming snake like as they formed into two whips; and in one fluid movement she lashed the whip out at the kneecapped man’s foot wrapping around it and throwing him from his feet as she hurtled through the air toward the other wall. Without losing momentum she launched from the wall once more. The last standing gun had begun to back away from her as she snapped the whip around his neck, pulling him along with her own momentum headfirst into the wall. Falling to the ground with a roll, she rejoined her whips into the rifle.

She barely had enough time to stand back up when another voice called out to her, a fourth pursuer.

“Come on, you didn’t really think it’d be that easy did you?”

The man was at least 6 foot tall, with an utterly shaven head and a large hammer propped on his shoulder.

“Now why don’t you just be a good girl and come along?”

She dropped her rifle down to her side, another swift motion transforming it once more. This time it shifted larger than before. Growing into a sleek black katana with a silver accent along the edge. The bald man rose a single eyebrow.

“That’s a no then? Damn, such a pretty face.”

Before he could say another word she shot toward him. With a quick jump he dodged her strike and brought the hammer down toward her. Without a moment to spare she dropped into a roll avoiding the attack and quickly shifted her weapon back into a rifle, letting loose two quick shots at the man before standing. Barely phased he charged at her using his weight to swing the hammer hard enough to shatter the brick of the wall as she feinted away from the strike.

“God! Do you ever just stand still?!”

She slashed twice across his back while he spoke before flipping away once more. He let out an anguished scream as the slashes tore across his skin. Fueled by rage more than thought he charged at her again, throwing all his weight forward. She followed suit matching his speed, charging toward him. As they drew close he through all his weight and might into a powerful swing, flying right above her head as she dropped into a slide between his legs entangling one of his legs as she went. The momentum of the pull along with his already unbalanced stand ripped him from his feet and sent

his hammer flying from his hands into the air. She spun to leave as the bald man landed with a thud.

“Who-“, he paused, barely able to string the words together, “are you?”

She couldn’t have told him, even if she had wanted to.

“I- I don’t know”

The hammer returned to its wielder as she left the alley, embedding his already bruised head into the concrete.