KAZEI 5

RUMBLE IN THE ZONE
(prologue)
by Michael Surbrook

Hah... Boy... Boy...
Hah... Boy... Hey Boy... Boy...

Leaning heavily on Temple for support, Yoshi gestured down the street. "C'mon," he slurred, "Ian said he'd pick us up an hour."

Supporting Yoshi easily on one arm, Temple looked back at the entrance of 93 Underground, "But, I wanted to dance some more, Yoshi-san. Do we have to leave now?"

"Unhunh," Yoshi nodded, "Gotta make pickup."

Temple sighed heavily, an action that accentuated her tight top, much to Yoshi's delight. "Alright, let's go."

Hey, let's dance! Feel the hot beat
Hey, hey, boy! Feel your hot heart
Look at me!

"Anna, I'm hungry." Uni's voice sounded almost petulant.

Anna gave her partner a dark look, "And what am I supposed to do about it?"

Uni brightened, "Lend me some cash so I can get us something from the Underground?"

Reaching out, Anna gave Uni a sharp slap across the back of the head. Although she'd been struck hard enough to place a dent in the average car, Uni simply winced.

"Why'd you do that?" she whined, rubbing the spot where she'd been hit.

"Because, we're supposed to be looking for this Temple person, not worrying about our stomachs."

"Really?" Uni pointed at several foil wrapped packages sticking out of Anna's jacket pocket, "What are those? Taser rounds?"

Anna looked at the items in question as if seeming them for the very first time. "Well... I... uh..."

"Hmph" Uni sniffed, "I thought so." She held out her hand, "Gimme one."

Anna quickly stood and backed away, "Forget it! Get yer own ration bars, long ears!"

"Long ears!" Uni stood up, an evil grin on her face, "Yer gonna pay for that one ya bitch!"

Removing her jacket and it's pocket full of ration bars, Anna tossed the garment behind her. "Bitch?" Anna glared over at Uni, "Come over here any say that."

Uni smiled and cracked her knuckles noisily, "Ok."

Hey, let's dance! Don't be shy.
Hey, hey, boy! You mustn't hesitate!
Let's dance!

Temple glanced about at the surrounding buildings. She was sure this was not the way they had initially come to 93 Underground.

"Yoshi-san?" she asked.

"Mmmm?"

"Are you sure this is the way back?"

"Unhunh," Yoshi nodded enthusiastically, prompting Temple to grab his arm to prevent him from falling over. "We go that way."

"If you say so," Temple answered dubiously. Reaching down, she undid the locking strap on her holstered .454 Casull.

In the dressed up city,
this music is starting to drift out.
Hey Boy......

Having born Anna to the ground and applied a rather painful joint-lock, Uni paused in her attempt to push her partner's head through the building roof to glance down into the street below.

"Hey Anna," Uni asked, "What's this Temple slitch look like again?"

Trying hard not to eat any more roof gravel that she had to, Anna twisted her head around to look over her shoulder at where Uni knelt on her back, "She's a Lynx, with bright blue hair."

"Really?" Uni moved off of Anna and pointed down at the street below, "Ya mean like that one?"

Rolling to her knees, Anna paused to deliver one last elbow to Uni's mid-section before looking down. "Yep, that's her." She turned to where Uni knelt gasping, "Get yer gear, it's time to go."

There are no rules
when solving difficult things!
Tonight, Hey Boy!

Looking down the deserted street, Temple decided that they had definitely taken a wrong turn somewhere. Looking back at Yoshi, she gestured back the way they'd come. "Yoshi-san, I think we should turn around."

Yoshi looked looked forward and back several times, obviously trying to decide which way to go. Finally, he looked up at Temple. "You sure?"

"Yes."

Yoshi shrugged and smiled, "Lead on then sweet Temple." He turned and had managed to take a single step when there was a sharp *snap* and Yoshi dropped solidly to the ground.

"YOSHI!!"

Temple broke into a quick run, drawing her pistol as she hurried to Yoshi's body. Dropping beside him, she noticed a pair of taser darts embedded in the thin fabric of his jacket. Backing away quickly, she looked around desperately for any sign of their unknown attacker.

Hey, let's dance! Feel the hot beat
Hey, hey, boy! Feel your hot heart
Look at me!

Lowering her taser pistol, Anna looked over at her partner. "One down, you get the other."

"Why me?"

Anna raised the taser again, "Because I told you to."

Uni stood, scowling darkly. "Nag, nag..." she muttered.

Hey, let's dance! Feel the hot beat
Hey, hey, boy! Feel your hot heart
Look at me!

Crouched in the shadows, Temple sat still and silent, attempting to listen for any hint of the gunman's whereabouts. The low crunch of booted feet on gravel alerted her to the presence of someone behind her, and so she whirled and stood, emptying the Casull into the darkness of the alley behind her. The massive revolver's reports were deafening, magnified as they were by the alley's close-set walls.

Uni dropped behind a projecting set of concrete stairs, as slugs slammed into and through the walls around her. "ANNA!!" she screamed, "DO SOMETHING!"

Stumbling back from the alley's mouth, Temple emptied the spent shells from the cylinder and quickly reached for a fresh speed loader.

Leaping from the rowhouse rooftop, Anna dropped into a low crouch behind the backpedaling Lynx. Bring one leg around, she cut her target's legs out from under her, roughly throwing Temple to the ground.

Rolling to one side, Temple came to her feet, her pistol abandoned on the street in front of her. Her newest attacker she recognized immediately as Annapuma, one half of the notorious Cat Sisters. Staying in a low crouch, she circled cautiously around her opponent, trying to keep Anna and the alley mouth both in view.

Anna glanced at the shorter synthetic and smiled. "Here kitty, kitty," she taunted.

Temple's eyes went wide, 'kitty, kitty'? Not even Jagger called her things like that! Throwing caution to the wind, she rushed Anna.

Temple caught Anna's punch on an upraised fore-arm and responded with a quick jab to Anna's middle. Her blow landed solid, and Anna almost doubled over with a whoosh of exhaled air. Temple's victory was short lived however, as Uni's blind side kick caught her in the ribs, tossing Temple to the ground to lay in a heap, gasping for breath.

Staggering upright, Anna looked over at Uni, "Took you long enough."

Uni shrugged, producing a pair of handcuffs from her belt, "We won, so what's the problem? C'mon, let's get her out of here, I'm still hungry."

Hey, let's dance! Feel the hot beat
Hey, hey, boy! Feel your hot heart
Let's dance!

Hey Boy
Dominion


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