[02] City Sector FIGHT

[DA 2009]

VINCENT VS. KADEN

Maybe this was exactly what Kaden needed; although he didn’t really want to kill anyone, at least it wasn’t anybody he knew, and it was somebody who had no problem fighting him. The courier could finally blow off a little steam from forcibly beating a defenseless girl to a bloody pulp.

Vincent rolled away into a crouch, coming up and bringing his ki rifle to level with Kaden’s position. The courier sent another salvo of blasts to counteract with the live energy rounds fired from the weapon. They collided in the middle, exploding with a vibrant flash. Vincent immediately teleported away from the resounding fallout, whilst Kaden could only twist his body to the side to protect himself with his shoulder. Something flickered in his brain, and he looked up to the top of a car, where the eliminator crouched. The courier dove out of the line of fire just as a burst of rifle bullets checkered the ground on which he had just stood. As he got to his feet once more, his gaze returned to the car, but Vincent was already gone.

Yet all around him, he could hear—and feel—Vincent’s taunting laughter. Kaden brought up a hand and charged up a bolt of cerulean energy in his palm in preparation for the next assault. Even the eliminator’s mockery could not disturb the level of calm that had washed over the blond-haired boy. He simply breathed evenly, using his ki sense to ferret out his opponent; while the eliminator was able to teleport, he most certainly couldn’t hide…not from Kaden.

Vincent’s next assault came from behind, and the red-eyed youth whirled around, bringing up his hand to stop the ki shell from penetrating his skull. Unfortunately, he cut it a little too close, and the concussive force erupted in his face.

-----

Damon watched the bout, seeing his eliminator in action. Both were performing admirably; he loved the part where Vincent just jumped in for the ambush without even waiting for the combat protocol to being. The host could see he’d hired the right person. A grin crept along his face. It was entirely unprofessional, what he was about to do, and he had absolutely no reason to do it other than the fact that Kaden had insulted him in a rather childish tantrum.

“Engage the manual override,” Dukes instructed.

“What the hell, Damon?” Audric threw his arms up. “He’s fighting, what more do you want from the man? He’s doing pretty damn well too!”

“Just…do it,” Damon ordered.

-----

Kaden groaned as he got up from the blast. Just before he managed to rise from his knees, he felt his body freeze.

-----

“Let’s see how you like it on the receiving end.”

-----

Vincent calmly strode up from the smoke, having received his new orders. He saw Kaden, kneeling on the concrete, struggling to move but unable to do so. The furyian holstered his weapon, and cracked his knuckles. He gripped the courier by the jacket and lifted him slightly upwards.

“Sorry,” the eliminator shrugged. “It’s just business.”

With that, he slammed his fist into Kaden’s face. Vincent punched him over and over again, until the courier resembled something like Ashe did in the last fight. Just as Vincent was about to finish the job, however, he stopped, a confused look on his face. He put a hand up to his ear.

“What? Are you kidding me? I’m just about to win!” he griped. Reluctantly, he shoved Kaden away. “You won’t be so lucky next time.”

Vincent walked off into the city, leaving the courier lying on the ground, just like Kaden had left Ashe.

-----

“Oh, and by the way Vincent, you lose,” Damon added.

“I WHAT?!” came the crackling reply over the microphone.

“You lose because I cheated,” Dukes answered simply. “He would have eventually beaten you in the end. Don’t worry, my friend, you’re still getting paid, and you’re still in the tournament.”

He reached over Audric, and despite the supervisor’s protests, flicked off the microphone. Dukes didn’t give a damn what those board members thought; this was his game, and he’d run it how he damn well pleased.