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	Ashes: Chapter 6
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Shadow ran along the alleyways behind the bar, choosing turnings at random, desperately searching for Cathy. He wanted to shout her name, but he knew he would only attract Steel's attention, something he wanted to avoid if at all possible. Stopping at a t-junction he decided to turn left, intending to circle back round to the other side of the bar, when he heard a scream from behind him.Turning round he sprinted back the other way up the alley, until he came to a left turn. He was about to go round the corner when a glint of metal caught his eye. He was halfway through the pace that would kill him when he realised what it was he had seen. It was those earrings he had given her for Christmas, and that could only mean one thing. Throwing himself backwards, he only just managed to avoid the nearly invisible wire that would have separated his head from his body. Making sure he kept below the level of the wire this time, he rolled round the corner, and brought his gun up. The targeting scope in his left eye leapt to the two figures a few metres up the alley, as the 'Predictor' in the same eye displayed possible attacks and defences in garish colours. He suddenly realised that the prone figure was Cathy, so the other leaning over her must be Steel. Steel put his hands round her neck and started to squeeze. His gun came up unbiden and he heard his blood roaring in his ears. He pulled the trigger and the gun bucked in his hand as it sent it's deadly cargo on the way. In the same instant it took Shadow to pull the trigger, Steel rolled backwards, away from the line of the bullet, which parted his hair and embedded itself in the wall behind. Swearing, Shadow took aim again and pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened. He tried again and again, but the gun refused to work. Standing up, Steel smiled evilly and laughed. "Missed! Come on, have another go." Spreading his arms wide, he advanced slowly. "What's the matter? Your gun jammed? See that's what happens when you rely on crude mechanical methods of dealing death. And now I'll show you how it used to be done." Saying this he dropped into a fighter's stance and advanced on Shadow.Shadow knew that he didn't stand chance against Steel in a fair fight, Steel's cyberwear gave him too much of an edge. But for everything cyberwear gave, it also took something away. What it took was that part of people often ascribed to a 'soul', or 'conscience'. It took away your inner strength and mental balance, the two things essential to any martial art. Shadow realised his only chance lay in playing on this weakness. Dropping into a similar fighting stance, Shadow sneered, "crude mechanical methods? Like your cyberhand?" He could see from Steel's expression that he did not agree with Shadow's analysis. "You weren't good enough before were you? So you thought that adding metal to your body would hide your lack of ability..." "You know nothing of me!" hissed Steel, cutting Shadow off mid-sentence. "...but you were wrong," continued Shadow, as if nothing had happened. As Shadow had hoped, Steel's composure slipped and he dived at Shadow, intent on ripping him limb from limb to prove that he was the best. Even though his moves were badly controlled, and driven by anger, they were still extremely fast, and good enough to catch Shadow with a glancing blow that tore a gash in his left cheek. The speed of Steel's reactions amazed Shadow, and he finally realised that even when Steel was not focused and controlled, he was still the better fighter. "There is no chance for me, " Shadow thought to himself, "and I will soon be lying next Cathy. My life wasn't meant to end this way." His thoughts drifted to those he held dear, and as his concentration waned so did the quality of his defence. He thought of his lover, Dyanne, his unborn child, and the smile on Dyanne's face as she told him he was going to be a father (a cracked rib); he thought of his friends, and the great times they'd had together (a bruised kidney); he thought of Allison, and the way she'd saved his life a long time ago (a broken tooth); and he thought of Cathy, and her tears as she revealed that no-one had ever given her a present before, that day he'd given her the earings (a broken wrist). Suddenly a thought struck him, there was one, last chance. Straightening up slightly he ran his hand across his face to wipe away the mixture of blood, grime and rain that was getting in his eyes. Steel just laughed at him, certain now of his victory. "You think your the best don't you, " said Shadow, circling Steel until his back is at the entrance to the alley, "maybe you were once, but that was a long time ago, and you're just getting worse!" Shadow chuckled slightly, "Just think what they're gonna say when they hear you couldn't even beat me. You're gonna be a laughing stock, the Tin Man who took out his brain to fit in some more hardware!" Just as he had hoped, Steel snapped and charged forward again. Shadow backed off two paces then dummied a weak punch at Steel's torso. As Shadow expected, Steel brushed aside the punch and continued charging. Shadow allowed himself to fall backwards, and grabbing Steel's arm, used his own momentum against him.Steel was pulled off balance and fell forwards, landing on top of Shadow. Steel's eyes narrowed, and he made to finish Shadow off now that he was pinned helplessly below him. But his arms and legs didn't work. Then he saw the blood pouring out over Shadow and opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Rolling the dead body off him, Shadow stood up gingerly, every part of his body hurting. Seeing Cathy's body still lying in a heap where she had been the whole time, he dragged himself over to collect her body. He bent down and picked her up, hating himself for not arriving in time to save her. As he picked her up, she gave a low moan. "Cathy? Cathy? You're still alive," said Shadow, as his heart leapt. He hadn't been too late; he'd saved someone. For the first time in his life he took joy in the act of saving someone's life, rather than taking it. Cathy's lips moved and Shadow bent closer to hear. All he could make out was "trap...earrings...failed, failed." "No you didn't," said Shadow gently, "it worked, your trap worked." Carrying her in his arms, he limped painfully out of the alleyway, past the dead body of Steel. A few minutes later the scavengers moved in. They stripped Steel's body of everything valuable, leaving him lying naked, head tilted back, the ear-to-ear slash in his throat opened like a grotesque mouth screaming at the universe. The earrings lay where they had fallen, pulled from the wall by the weight of Steel's body on the mono-wire stretched between them. But not before they had done their job.

Created by: wraith on Sun 28 Mar 99

SEE ALSO:		<< Ashes: Chapter 5  |  Index
	Ashes: Prologue Ashes: Chapter 1 Ashes: Chapter 2 Ashes: Chapter 3 Ashes: Chapter 4 Ashes: Chapter 5

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