A raven flash burst towards me, and before I could react, a high, sharp knee collided with my ribcage.

It hurt like nothing else had hurt before. Pain exploded through my chest. Luckily, I had the sense to drop Clover and shift ever so slightly back just before the strike connected. 

My vision fuzzy, I staggered to my feet. I was greeted with a perfect Muay Thai stance, Mantis’ gaze obscured by his flowing hair. His knees were bent, his left in front of his right, popping up every so often to defend his chest. His forearms were placed squarely in front of his face, forming a rock-solid, immovable wall. 

I went for a palm strike, but he was ready. His forearm bolted forward, knocking my strike aside. He pushed his foot forward in a front kick, hitting me right where his knee had just collided. I coughed up blood, staining my white shirt. 

“Who are you? You are not a gala guest. Why are you here?”

“I could ask the same of you. The name’s Aurum. A wandering detective. Please stop trying to   kill me.”

“I cannot. There will be no witnesses.”

I needed to get further back. Maybe a sweep would work. 

Crouching low, I spun in a circle, leg aiming for his ankles. He simply leapt above my strike, before darting forward, following through with a flurry of elbows. 

I placed my arms weakly above my face, just barely managing to dissipate the blows. 

He dropped his stance, lowering his hands and raising his fists. His arms swung around in a dual hook, both fists colliding with my face. I gagged, choking on my own spit and blood. Without missing a beat, his hands retracted, and another fist, this time an uppercut, perfectly struck my jaw.

I reeled back, surveying my surroundings. He had corralled me far from the hall where the gala was held, and faux decorative pillars, combined with the fish tanks situated around them, made this section of the Coral Reef exhibit a maze. The worst possible environment for the kicks I relied so heavily on. 

But I had to try. With the last ounce of my strength, I tried a side kick, spinning around and unleashing another one in rapid succession. Miraculously, this one hit, slamming Mantis into one of the pillars, causing it to splinter apart, chunks of stone raining down onto his head and onto the floor. 

But I should’ve known better. Another knee struck my body, this time, my crotch. I don’t even want to describe how that felt. I crashed into a tank, knocking the fish into the air and water onto the floor. I rolled onto the ground, flopping around with the animals I had just inadvertently killed. Mantis attempted a straight punch, but I rolled to the left, his fist smashing into the pillar just behind me, causing large cracks to jut across the surface of the stone.

Wheezing in as much air as I could inhale, I lay on the floor, battered and broken.

I glanced exhaustedly over at Clover. Her face had completely fallen. She had lost all faith that I would win. But right on cue, she lit up in sparks. She raised her chin, grabbing my limp hand, dragging me through the dust. Right as we passed into the hallway, out of the room, the pillar collapsed, the rubble forming a wall between Mantis and us. 

My vision went completely black. I just remember waking up in what looked like a staff breakroom, Clover gently applying ice to the purple splotches that completely covered my body.

“Thank goodness, you’re awake. I was getting worried you’d never come to.”

I groaned, slowly sitting up. 

“What happened?”

Clover twiddled her thumbs, looking down at my mess of a body.

“I dragged you into this breakroom, on the left exit of the coral reef hall. That guy beat you really badly.”

Shame washed over my face. I looked down, trying as hard as I could not to make eye contact.

“I’m so sorry. I should’ve protected you.”

Clover looked down at her hands. I couldn’t quite make out the emotion on her face. Relief? Disappointment? Fear? All three?

“That guy is a monster. I don’t know how anyone would beat him. It’s not your fault.”

Pushing my mortification into the corner of my brain, I scanned my injuries.

Purple and red blotches covered my entire body. It hurt to move every part of my body. But the ice was helping. And after a quick inspection, I noted that nothing was broken. I could keep fighting. A miracle.

I surveyed my surroundings. I had been dragged next to the employee fridge, where Clover must’ve gotten the ice from. I used the counter as leverage to pull myself to my feet, cracking my knuckles. 

“Where’s the long-haired guy? Mantis, they called him.”

Clover rolled down her sleeves. 

“I don’t know. The falling pillar blocked the entrance to the hall where this room is. I don’t think he knows where we are.”

I hissed in pain as I steadied myself into a walking position. One foot in front of the other. 

“We need to go after them. And not get caught this time.”

Clover frowned. 

“They’re really dangerous. We’ll have to be extra careful. Are you sure there's no other way out?”

I got down on one knee, clasping her hands. 

“I need to stay here. I came here on a case. I need to find out what’s going on. The safety of the city, and my next paycheck, is in my hands.”

I tightened my fists into tight balls, still upset I let myself get overwhelmed. As useful as her foresight power was, I had to make it on my own. I couldn’t protect her.”

“This place is full of good places to hide. I’ll find you an alcove to hide out in, and I’ll come and get you when this is all over.”

Clover crossed her arms, forming a giant X in the air, shaking her head back and forth until her facial features were a complete blur. 

“No! I don’t want to be left by myself!”

I grimaced.

“I can’t protect you. These guys are too dangerous. You had to save me. It shouldn’t have to be that way.”

Clover’s voice began to crackle and wobble, tears welling in her eyes. 

“You did fine! Just don’t leave me!

I sighed. I understood where she was coming from. The fear of being alone far outclassed her perceived fear of the dangers lurking within the aquarium. She was scared of both, but to her, I was leaving her defenceless. 

“Okay. You can come with. But please. If I ever go down like that again, leave me.”

Suddenly, the sharp crack of wood splintering apart jolted me to my feet. I watched as the door exploded into splinters, the bits of wood flying across the room and spinning through the air, a single fist the culprit of the destruction. 

A woman, bobbing back and forth on the balls of her feet, fists by her cheeks. She was dressed sharply in a suit tailored tightly to her form, almost like a bodysuit. The arms of her shirt were rolled up, and her suit jacket was wound around her neck and shoulders like a cape. She was lean, but astoundingly muscular, her biceps and abs just barely visible through her clothes. Her hands were tightly wrapped in what looked like… Toilet paper? She was a boxer. That much was clear. Her hair was cut in a sharp, blonde bob, but the stress of the last couple of hours had obviously caused it to fray at the edges. Black, dragon-scale tattoos ran down her arms and neck, forming a tight sleeve. Her dress pants and dress shoes were in perfect condition, her daisy-yellow tie immaculate. 

Her voice came out surprisingly deep and tomboyish. Her tone was laced with an aura of confidence, thoroughly intimidating and commanding. 

“Get away from the kid.”

I raised my hands high in the air like I was under arrest, standing straight as a needle. 

“Whatever you think this is, ma’am, this is not what it looks like. I’m actually–”

She sprinted forward in an astonishingly fast blur, hitting me with a devastating uppercut right to my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I lurched backwards, letting out an embarrassingly girly moan.

I heaved, scrambling to my feet. I smiled a wide, toothy grin despite the obvious pain. Gotta show off my braces somehow. I motioned for her to come at me, flicking my fingers towards myself challengingly. 

“You want a fight? Fine. I’ll give you one.”