- Overwhelming Strength

Kenji sheathed his katanas, looking around nervously. The ground was rumbling beneath his feet, and the city in front of him was crumbling. Something big was just up ahead.

"Not good," he muttered to himself.

He looked back to the sky, where the two transport ships still hovered menacingly. Vaas would be sending down fighters any minute. And he didn't want to be here when they did.

There was another explosion, maybe a half mile away. Hyunji was probably there. If she got herself killed, he would never get the payment. And…maybe he could get paid a little extra by stepping in.

Time was running out.

Shutting the exit door, Kenji left his cloaked ship and took off toward the fight.

*******

Hyunji, dagger in hand, rushed towards Bendrir with rage. "You won't be taking shit!"

Bendrir laughed, knocking Hyunji's blade out of her hands with a swat. "Come on, rookie. Give me all you got!"

She growled in pain, holding her wrist, which had bent back at an awkward angle. But she would bear through it. Jumping up, she sent a kick into Bendrir's side.

Bendrir grunted before laughing more.

"I thought you would've been stronger by now," he said. "At least give me a little fight, girl."

Hyunji threw a barrage of punches at the enemy's face.

Each punch hit one of his three eyes, his jaw, and his nose. He stood absolutely still, a smile still playing across his face.

Hyunji cried out in pain, holding her bleeding knuckles.

"Oh, rookie, you should've tried harder. I'm truly disappointed." He reached out, wrapping his massive hand around her head. Picking her up, he propelled her through the air until she landed in a pile of rubble over a thousand feet away.

Hyunji layed there for a second, but she couldn't move her body. Her vision began to fade until everything was black.

*******

Jade stood, his legs shaking. He had used up all of his energy during the battle against the three Flames and now when he'd created the barrier. His body felt numb and lifeless, but somehow, he took a step forward.

Dante was behind the enemy now, dragging the woman away from the battle.

He watched as Hyunji flew past him, disappearing in the darkness.

Min-jun was also gone now. Had he run away?

That meant Jade was the last one left standing. He turned back to his opponent, who was now only a few feet away.

Bendrir looked down at him with amusement. "Good to see you again, boy. What're you gonna do? Block another one of my attacks?"

Jade stayed silent, willing his mind to focus. He began to feel a power growing in his fingertips, and he pushed out with all his might.

The energy pushed forward, dark and silent. It pushed against his opponent, causing them to stumble back.

A smug look crossed Bendrir's face. "Wow. Okay. That was…something. Better than what the rookie gave me. Anything else?"

Jade was winded. His shoulders slumped down, and his whole body felt like it was about to give up. Did he have anything else?

He tried to summon more energy. If he didn't, there was no hope of getting Hyunj and the others back to the ship. He had to give it everything and more.

Bendrir's fist began to glow purple again. "Time's up."

With the slightest tap, Bendrir sent Jade flying backward again. This time he went much further, skidding across the pavement until he finally came to a stop a few hundred feet away.

Jade stood.

One last push, that was all it would take. Don't think about the pain, he told himself.

Suddenly, the world began to spin around him, and he collapsed to the ground.

*******

Min-jun couldn't find his gun. After the shockwave, it had been torn out of his hands.

He needed that gun. It was his only weapon. It was his last gift from his father. Without it, there was nothing he could do.

Kneeling on the ground, Min-jun pushed away a pile of rubble. "Where is it? Where?"

The ground shook slightly as Min-jun searched for his gun. Suddenly, he froze, a feeling of pressure growing behind him.

The air began to thin, and Min-jun found it hard to breathe. Turning, he was confronted by the large figure of Bendrir.

"Hahahaha," he chuckled. "No more friends to defend you, bounty. You're mine now."

Min-jun was paralyzed from head to toe as death walked closer.

Was his time up? He felt a horrible sense of regret. Why had he done it? Left Earth with Vaas? Left Hyunji behind so that she would worry about him. Why had he gone through with killing the Prime Minister? It had all led to this. It was his fault.

A tear formed in the corner of his eye, and it slid down his face.

Standing, Min-jun bowed his head to Bendrir. "Take me in then. I don't want to fight you. Just leave everyone here alone."

"For the two million I'm about to get, I'll give you a bed and breakfast," Bendrir joked. He removed a chain from his belt, which had a collar attached to the end. The metal screeched as he clamped it around Min-jun's neck. "Do you know what this chain means? You're a dog now. Obey me, and you won't be punished."

With a yank, he pulled Min-jun forward, back toward his ship.