Daniel stood face to face against Guile. "Who is this guy? He is reminding me of the Kings. I have to go to the upper floor."
Just as Daniel was lost in his thoughts, Vasco came in front of him. "I'll take care of this."
Daniel looked at Vasco's back. "I can't leave Vasco alone. Will Vasco be okay alone? Against someone like this?"
Vin Jin placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Don't worry. I will also stay back. The other guys should be here soon. You go up first."
Vin Jin had a serious face. He could see that Guile wasn't any ordinary fighter.
Daniel nodded. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about the other guys too.
---
Zack and Jay were barely standing.
Blood pooled beneath Zack's feet. His left arm hung useless. His thigh was torn open, muscle exposed. Every breath sent fire through his ribs.
Jay's side was crimson. His leg trembled, barely supporting his weight. The cut across his cheek still bled.
Valentina circled them. "Still standing? You're tougher than I thought."
Zack spat blood. "We're not done yet."
"You are," Valentina said.
She moved. Zack tried to track her. His eyes followed, but his body couldn't keep up.
The needle came for his throat.
A hand deflected Valentina's wrist. The strike went wide.
Valentina spun, eyes widening. A tall, slender man stood beside Zack. A scar ran across his lips. His eyes were calm and focused.
Jake Kim.
"Jake?" Zack gasped.
"You look like shit," Jake said. "Both of you."
Valentina stepped back. "Another one?"
Jake rolled his shoulders. "Zack. Jay. Can you still move?"
Zack gritted his teeth. "Yeah."
Jay nodded weakly.
"Then let's finish this together," Jake said.
Valentina's eyes narrowed. "Three on one? Still won't be enough."
"We'll see," Jake said.
He moved first. Jake closed the distance and threw a straight punch.
Valentina slipped it and countered with her needle. Jake twisted. The needle scraped his ribs instead of sinking deep. He grabbed for her wrist.
Valentina pulled back, but Zack was already there. His right fist came from the side, aimed at her head.
Valentina ducked. The punch whistled overhead. She drove her needle toward Zack's exposed ribs.
Jay appeared behind her. His palm came for the back of her head.
Valentina rolled forward, avoiding both attacks. She came up in a crouch and slashed at Jake's leg.
Jake jumped back. The blade cut through empty air.
Zack pressed forward despite his injuries. He threw a straight right. Valentina sidestepped, but Jake was already moving to cut off her escape.
She ducked under Jake's punch and blocked Zack's follow-up. The impact jarred her arm.
Jay came in low, sweeping at her legs. Valentina jumped, but Zack was waiting. His fist came straight down.
Valentina twisted mid-air. The punch glanced off her shoulder instead of her head. Pain shot through her arm, but she landed.
She immediately weaved back from Jake's attacks. His punches came fast. Each one forced her back a step.
Zack attacked from the left. Jay from the right.
Valentina's eyes darted between them. She blocked Zack's punch, but Jay's elbow caught her ribs. She gasped. Before she could recover, Jake's knee drove into her stomach.
Air exploded from her lungs.
Valentina stumbled back. Blood trickled from her mouth behind the mask.
"You're slowing down," Jake said.
Valentina wiped her mouth. She burst forward. Her speed increased. Her outline blurred.
Jake's eyes tracked her movement. "Zack, left!"
Zack turned and threw a punch. Valentina had to abort her attack to avoid it. She appeared on Jake's right instead.
Her needle flashed. Jake blocked with his forearm. The needle pierced through, but he grabbed her wrist before she could pull back.
"Now!" Jake shouted.
Zack charged in, throwing a heavy right cross. Valentina tried to wrench free. Jake's grip held.
The punch connected with her jaw. Her head snapped to the side. Her mask cracked.
Jay swept her legs. Valentina fell. Jake released her wrist.
She hit the ground hard. Before she could roll away, Jake stomped down. She rolled at the last second. His foot cratered the concrete where her head had been.
Valentina came up in a crouch, breathing hard. Blood ran from her split lip. Her jaw was swelling.
All three of them closed in. Jake from the front. Zack from the left despite his limp. Jay from the right.
Valentina's hand trembled around her needle. Her breathing steadied. She looked at each of them in turn.
She lunged at Jake.
Jake met her head-on. He caught her knife hand with his left, her needle hand with his right. Both her weapons were trapped.
Valentina drove her knee toward his groin. Jake turned his hip. Her knee hit his thigh instead.
She tried to headbutt him. Jake tilted his head. Her forehead struck his shoulder.
"Zack! Jay!" Jake shouted.
Zack's punch came for Valentina's ribs. She twisted in Jake's grip. The punch grazed her side instead of connecting fully.
Jay's elbow came for her neck. Valentina dropped her weight suddenly. Jake's grip loosened for just a moment. She slipped free and rolled back.
She came up with both weapons ready. Her movements were faster and sharper than before.
"You're good," Valentina said. "But this ends now."
She moved. Not in a straight line. She flickered between positions, using angles that made it hard to track her.
Jake stepped forward to intercept. Valentina was already gone. She appeared behind Jay.
Her needle went for his kidney.
Jake turned. "Jay!"
Jay spun, but he was too slow. The needle was inches away.
Zack grabbed Valentina's wrist from the side. He pulled her off balance. The needle missed.
Valentina used the momentum. She spun and drove her blade toward Zack's throat.
Jake's hand caught her arm mid-strike. The blade stopped an inch from Zack's neck.
Valentina's eyes narrowed. She pulled back, but all three of them pressed in. Every time she created space, they closed it. Every opening she found, one of them covered it.
Jake threw a punch. Valentina blocked it, but Zack was already swinging from the other side. She ducked under it. Jay's knee came up. She twisted away.
The coordination was tight. They moved like they'd fought together before.
Valentina landed a cut across Jake's shoulder. Before she could follow up, Zack's fist forced her back. She stabbed at Jay's leg. Jake kicked her wrist. The needle flew from her hand.
She still had the blade.
Valentina slashed at Jake's face. He leaned back. The blade cut through air. Zack grabbed for her arm. She pulled away and drove the blade toward his injured thigh.
Jake's foot caught her wrist. The blade clattered to the ground.
Valentina backed up. Both weapons lost. Her breathing was harder now. Blood ran from multiple cuts. Her ribs ached where Zack had landed his punch.
Jake, Zack, and Jay stood between her and her weapons.
"It's over," Jake said.
Valentina looked at them. All three were injured. Zack could barely stand. Jay was bleeding from his side. Jake's shoulder and forearm were cut.
But they were still standing. Still coordinated.
Valentina straightened. She took a breath. Her hand moved toward her belt.
Jake's eyes narrowed. Something changed in the way he stood. His muscles tensed differently. His eyes caught the light, and for a moment there was a faint purple glint in them.
He stepped forward.
The air felt heavier. Jake's next movement was faster than before. He closed the distance in a blink. His fist came straight for Valentina's face.
Valentina barely got her arm up in time. The impact drove her back three steps. Her forearm went numb.
Jake didn't stop. He pressed forward. Each punch came harder than the last. Each one carried weight that shouldn't have been possible from someone his size.
Valentina blocked the first punch. The second one broke through her guard and hit her shoulder. The third caught her ribs. She heard something crack.
She tried to counter. Her hand went for the hidden blade at her belt.
Jake's hand caught her wrist before she could draw it. His grip was like iron. He pulled her forward and drove his knee into her stomach.
Valentina doubled over. Blood sprayed from her mouth onto the concrete.
Jake didn't let go. He pulled her up and threw her toward the wall.
Valentina hit hard. The concrete cracked behind her. She slumped forward, coughing blood.
She tried to push herself up. Her arms shook. She made it to one knee.
Jake stood a few feet away. The purple glint was still there in his eyes. His breathing was heavy. Sweat ran down his face. His hands trembled slightly.
But he was still standing.
Valentina looked at him. At the strain in his posture. At the way his body was starting to break down from whatever he was doing.
She had other techniques. Things she'd been forbidden from using after what happened last time. Killing arts that went beyond simple combat.
But she looked at Jake's eyes again. At Zack and Jay behind him, both barely able to stand but still ready to fight.
Valentina lowered her hand. "You win."
Zack blinked. "What?"
"I said you win," Valentina repeated. She leaned against the wall. "I could keep going. But orders were to hold you here, not kill you. And if I use what I'd need to beat you now, there'd be consequences I'm not interested in dealing with."
Jake's posture relaxed slightly. The purple glint faded from his eyes. He swayed for a moment, then steadied himself.
"Just like that?" Jake asked. His voice was strained.
"Just like that." Valentina slid down the wall into a sitting position. "Besides, you fought well. All three of you. It would be a waste to escalate further."
Zack looked at Jake. Jake kept his eyes on Valentina, but his breathing was getting heavier. Whatever he'd done was taking its toll.
"The others won't stop," Valentina said. "But I'm done. Go help your friend."
Jake nodded slowly. He turned toward the stairs. His movements were stiffer and more careful than before.
"Jake," Zack said quietly. "You okay?"
"I'll manage," Jake said. "Let's move."
Zack limped toward the stairs. Jay followed, clutching his side. Jake came last, moving slower than before.
Valentina closed her eyes and let her head rest against the wall. Her ribs ached. Her jaw throbbed. But she was alive, and she hadn't crossed the line she wasn't supposed to cross.
That was enough.