“Keep moving!” I shouted.

The bullets flew through the air and across my head as they binged and pinged off the metallic plating of the wall. I could hear the tiger unit soldiers tearing into The Cartel operatives. They were geared up too. It looked like this place had been housing some of their toughest goons within The Underbelly. They were suited up in all black attire with visors across their eyes. It was more than likely some kind of nanite stimulant with large Templar sized crosses on their backs that gave off that Kasaihana famous neon glow.

I leaped into the air on top of one of the Cartel members. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pointed my weapon forward. Blast after blast, I emptied my clips into these goons. I turned my pistol down onto the goon that had been supporting my weight. The blow was so damaging that it blew a massive chunk right out of the side of his head. His brains erupted from his cranium like snot from a constipated nostril. I killed them without mercy, without care, and with total and complete compliance. I didn’t care for The Syndicate, but after what purple had done to me? I absolutely loathed The Cartel.

“Bloodhound, have you got a read back on the target? “ I said through my holophone. No response…

“Shit…” I swore under my breath. I rolled out of the corner, crawling towards another room within the establishment. And then my holophone to go off. Again.

“Incoming call from… THE CHIEF. Would you like me to patch him in?” My AI said to me.

“Just a little busy right now, Ann! Can you uh… can you tell him to leave a message?!” I spoke through grit teeth while the bullets zipped past my head at a continuous pace.

“I’m afraid he’s overridden my protocols and is now force connecting himself to your holophone, Aoimi Yoru. I am sorry.“ Ann’s voice was swapped out quickly. The chief started off with a scream. I mean I knew he was mad, but now at this point, he was just being extra. The Chief was shouting at the top of his lungs. It was so bad that I couldn’t hear a damn thing over all this gunfire!

“YORU! YOU SON OF A BITCH! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE!?” He bellowed wildly to the high heavens. I could almost smell his breath through the holophone. It was that crude coffee breath, you know, the kind that's coupled up with an intensified concentrated manifestation of ass.

“I’m exposing you! You and the entire District 1 precinct for the criminal dealings with The Syndicate. I knew you were working with them! I knew it!” I hissed the words while keeping my head down as the bullets whizzed by. “I’m going to take this to the Kasaihana Council! Then they're gonna take it to the mayor! Then you know what’s happening after that?“ I paused, laughing as I leaped out of the way of an incoming grenade. I managed to hit the ground with a hard roll while pulling both of my pistols up to my face. “You’re going to get indicted! You’re going to lose everything! I’m cleaning the city out… time we get rid of shit heads like you.” I said with the most sincere smile on my face.

“You don’t understand anything! Nothing! You’re just a child! You don’t understand how this city works. How The Syndicate and the Cops have to work together! We just came out of a war! Have you forgotten that?! The Slave Revolt war crippled the city. Working with the Syndicate is the best way to ensure that this never happens again!“ I heard him loud and clear. He was delusional.

“Ann?“ I said to my AI. She’d beep twice, notifying me that she’d been active and listening. “Disconnect the call. “ I said sternly.

“Yoru, it’s not too late! I could call Purple, he could call the Santiago Twins! We could call this all off right now. You could turn around. And you’d still have your life!” He coaxed. I was offended he thought so little of me and my integrity. He was begging now. I winced at the desperation in his voice, it sickened me.

“Terminating call, Ms. Yoru.“ A loud beep and a chirp followed after that, and just like that, I hung up on his ass. I made my way to the secondary room. It leads to a large metal door that was bolted off.

“Dammit...” I cursed, feeling the sides of the door. “This is titanium… “ I knocked at the surface a bit. Some of the Tiger Unit soldiers would’ve rushed in after me. “You uh, you guys got anything that could bust down a titanium door?“ They shook their heads in response. “C’mon… no words now, too? Not even a ‘No sir’?“ I said disappointingly. I placed my fingers on my earpiece tuning in to my supposed partner.

“Listen, were stuck at an impasse. This door seems to connect to the lower levels of The Underbelly. Think you can get to us? And open it?“ I said back to him. There was a long pause… “Bloodhound? Bloodhound can you read me?“ I said sliding my fingers through my hair out of frustration. My eyes darted upwards, and that’s when I spotted it. An air vent.

“Alright, one of you guys. Give me a boost up there. I’m gonna go through the vent. And no, this doesn't mean you can get a cheap look at my ass.“ I began pulling off my trench coat and stretching a bit. I’d place one of my pistols on my back, or rather between my belt in the back so it'd fit nice and snug. I opened my mouth, biting down on the pistol so it stayed firmly between my teeth. They managed to hoist me up as I tugged down the ventilation gate. Once it was open, I crawled through afterward. My butt was a little hard to get in, but I managed to work it out. Guess all those long mornings of getting ready for work, and shimmying into my jeans has finally paid off.

I crawled through, keeping my body low and quiet as I made my way to the other side. Boom! I’d kick open another vent. The metal gate hit the ground with a hard clank. I dropped down soon after. I scoped the area from left to right with both my pistols. My eyes scanned the hallway for an all clear.

"It's clear. " I said, lowering my weapons. I walked to the large metal door, only to discover that I’d need a passcode. Placing my fingers over the dial pad, I attempted to punch in a few codes of my own. Of course, none of them worked. However...

“Looks like you guys are locked out until I get that code. Wait here… I’m going to do some looking around. Let's see what I can find.“ I pressed forward. After a few moments of searching, I came across a room.

“Locker room?“ I tilted my head to the right before opening the door. Upon doing so… I was greeted with quite a large group of gentlemen wearing an assortment of masked outfits or 'gimmicks' as they are called.

“Who in the fuck…” One of the fighters questioned. He was shirtless and wore wrestling tights, an oni mask on his face. The rest of the freaks stood up after him, all of them scowling at me.

“Alright…” I said putting my weapons away, showing my badge to all of them. “I’m with the KPD. I’m going to need all of you… to come with me.“ I could tell by the looks on their faces, that this wasn’t going to end well. “You’re all under arrest for participating in unlawful violence, unauthorized conduct, and participating in The Underbelly's illegal games of forefit... known as The Gauntlet.” As I said this, a few of them started to stand up. “Let’s just… all head out of this door together, alright? No problems. No issues. We can keep things simple.“ I said, almost trying to plead into their good nature, or rather, lack thereof.

“We ain't going nowhere with you, bitch.“ A man spoke boldy from behind his elephant mask. He had a metal rod in his hand. He took a few steps forward, then so did his peers.

“Bitch…?” I threw the word back at him.

“That’s right, you heard him. “ This time it was the man in the oni mask.

“We don't make deals with fucking pigs. We're not going anywhere with you. Far as we know? We could beat you, rape you, and toss you into that fucking trash dispenser? And no one would see you again.“ The guy wearing a bear’s mask threatened. He seemed pretty confident.

“Listen, guys. I know some of you have families. All that good stuff, right? Wives at home? Kids? Think about them. I’d hate… for them to see all of you. In the FUCKING… HOSPITAL!” I said barking back at them, probably a bad idea. Well, so what? Don’t give me that look. He shouldn’t have called me a bitch.

“Who the fuck does she think she is?” Elephant mask boasted again.

“Get her!” The one in the Oni mask said, god I knew he was a dickhead. He proved me right when he was the one to take the first steps.

One of the goons got lucky enough to hit me across the face with an iron staff of some kind. I hit the ground hard, blood bursting from my lips. Hitting the ground back first. “Ha! We got the bitch!” Shouted a man in a squid mask. He had to be the shit head that hit me with that fucking pipe.

“Haha…“ I laughed, lying there staring at the ceiling. I’m sure this took the others by surprise. Especially, after hearing me laugh and take a blow like that. “Give me more… I want some more of that. That’s the good stuff.” I spouted incoherently, wiping the blood from my lips, my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I popped my jaw back in place. “Take a girl out to dinner first, yeah?”

“She’s… a monster!” One of the goons gasped. He tried to run… but no. Now my blood was pumping. Now I was excited!

It was a bloodbath.  Guess with all there fighting. They'd never seen someone use traditional Chinese martial arts before. After some time, I’d brutally beaten all of them. What I’d been surrounded by had been a litter of bodies. Everyone of them were piled on top of each other. All that were left now were broken bloody messes.

“You're all under arrest.“ I said matter-a-factly. I panted, tilting my head up, wiping the blood from my face. After stepping over their bodies, I’d boot down the back door that seemed to belong to the one who set the matches up for Purple.

“Oh God, please don’t kill me!” It was a man, a guy on the heavier side. He was bald with a thick mustache. His room smelled like cheesy potato chips and booze. “I-I-I’ll tell you anything you want to know! Say, I saw you fighting those chumps in there! It’s not every day I see a woman take out fourteen of our best guys! I-I-I could give you a job. Why don’t you come work for me huh?“ I gripped hold of the lard sack of shit by his shirt. I pulled him up to me so we were face to face.

“Where is Purple going…? There are more than 30 floors in this place. Where could he be hiding?” I demanded, shaking the fatty.

“I don’t know!“ He whined back to me. I responded with a head-butt. His nose and mouth busted open. Blood burst free once the impact had been made. I allowed his body to hit the ground, he attempted to scurry away. I kicked him in the ribs and mounted him. Beating him in the face with my fist over and over again.

“Talk!” I said punching him in the eye, it swelled up damn near on impact.

“God! Alright, stop, please! Please stop!” he said shaking while I hovered my fist over his face. “He’s more than likely… heading into his escape route. He can get to it from the 12th lower level and it leads to the roof. It's a straight shot of here. But he’s already gone by now. He took off as soon as you guys came through the door.“ The Lackey said to me in a weak tone. I had a feeling he wasn’t lying. All I could do was trust my ‘partner’.

“What’s the code to the titanium door?” I said through gritted teeth.

“It’s… 0942AB.” As he responded to me. I’d throw the bastard into his large TV behind him. Making sure the impact knocked him out. It wasn’t long before I opened the door, using the code he’d given to me. Once the Tiger Unit soldiers rushed in, I had them follow me down the hall to the locker room. Upon entry however, they stopped in awe.

“Did you…?” One of the Tiger Unit men began to speak, pulling his feline-like helmet off of himself as he spoke for the first time on the job. My actions seemed to had left him in a state of traumatism. “You took out all of these guys on your own? “ He said to me while I lit a cigarette.

“Fucksakes, that's the first thing you have to say? ” I chuckled while smirking at him, lifting him up by his chin. “You’re kind of cute without that helmet on." I couldn't help but notice the confused blush that flushed feverishly over his cheeks.

"Alright, scour the area. Bloodhound hasn’t reported back to me yet on the situation with Purple. So for now, I want you to shoot anyone that doesn’t allow us to arrest them.“ I said sternly.

“Ma’am… are you sure? That doesn’t entirely sound like the right thing to do.” The unmasked Tiger unit officer said to me.

“In this line of work, either you do a little wrong. Or you get a lot of dead. Now get a move on. I’m going to go through these files. Put all these guys in cuffs and see what I can find.” I commanded them, pulling my brown tattered trench coat back over my shoulders. I inhaled a large portion of the cigarette before the smoke fumed out of my nose into a cloud.

“We don’t have any more time to waste,” I said storming back into the office where I had knocked out Purple’s lackey. Worry submerged over my head like an unwanted halo. I needed to know if Bloodhound had caught him. I was praying that he hadn’t killed him. No… if anyone was going to Kill Purple for all he’s done?

It was going to be me.