Polluted Jianghu: 新年少鹏

Your bullshit psychoanalysis is right. Bubblegum crosses you with a hook, you meet her scarred fist with your forehead. Toughest part of the body. If you don't mind the risk of a concussion. A crack, a scream, you flip your spear to face the four. The haft splinters microscopically, you can tell, it feels too stiff and rigid, the way it bends as you run through stances. Oogami's troops (and Yuexia, a part of you remembers that technically she's on your side) do the backwards shuffle off of Huaran Warehouse's porch.

"Well?" you taunt, the tassel waving like a lure. "Any takers? I think my legs are the best part of my body."

"Me," Slackjaw growls and he comes at you like an angry bear, arms spread wide as to tackle you. You meet him with a probing thrust, he grabs it and wrenches it away in a single motion. You stare, dismayed, at the two frayed sticks in your hand. Shitty construction, a voice jeers. You get what you pay for, you dumb kid, so why the hell did you skimp?

He grabs you by the shoulder and collar and throws you head to concrete. Your feet hit the warehouse overhang, your thumb hooks his collarbone and your left hand makes it's own hold in his side. Slackjaw strains against your grip, that and the "Leggo, you bastard!" he howls. In pain. You can feel something wet and sticky against your fingers.

"Fuck no! You're just gonna throw me if I do!"

"Hold him there!" The rasp of steel leaving a scabbard. Oldhead and Yuexia, bearing down on you. You let yourself be thrown, two cuts carving deep into the warehouse walls. You spit the plaster out and roll away from Slackjaw. His kick whistles above your head.

Your head rings. The world is fuzzy. "The hell," Bubblegum snarls, right above you, "are you smiling for?"

Did she punch you? You can't feel it. "I just love life." No yeah she's hitting you. Straighten up like it doesn't even matter. "Y'call that a-"

Why do you remember how getting kicked in the balls feels like? A high pitched keening noise ambles its way out of your vocal cords. Fuck, you'll be walking funny for the rest of the week. You throw a wild elbow, she steps out of your range so you take the time to recover your breathing. Each breath rattles your ribcage.

Shit. They're in the warehouse now. You go from crouch to sprinting start and smash into Slackjaw, barrelling him through a door. He goes down easy. You leave a fist sized crater in his face and roll off of him before Bubblegum's kick hits your spine.

She's got a knife now, icepick grip. She's not waving it around like an idiot, so she knows how to use it. You backpedal away, there's no winning a knife fight. Especially when the knife got two swords backing them up, what the hell, this isn't fair. Hands curled around a metal shelf strut and hey, presto. An even shittier spear. You drive it through her guard and into her shoulder. A crash and clatter, there's the cyberparts and package pellets all over the floor.

Oldhead next to you all of a sudden. A flash of steel and the strut is bisected. "Not again," you moan and then your cheek flares up red and hot. You switch stances, from spear to saber, and wildly swing at the hazy figure in white leaping over your head. It's not a sword. It's a beam of moonlight.

No, what the fuck are you talking about. It's a sword. It's a meter odd of steel, not some fucking poetic metaphor.

You feel air on your face. When you lightly press on the wound you feel bone. That's not right. Yuexia looks like she doesn't quite know what to do. "Fuck you, bitch," you supply her a line. "This was my favorite face." Bubblegum, ashen faced, a pallor of death, whateverthefuck, she's holding a rag against her shoulder hoping the strut didn't go through an artery. Slackjaw, he's down for the count, dead or unconscious.

"Y-you have spares?" Okay, good. Good good. She's getting it.

"Your's," you snarl. Oldhead steps in front of her.

"That's no way to speak to a lady."

"Fuck off and go to the retirement home."

Something within him snaps. Bubblegum's eyes widen. Yuexia steps away. There's froth in his mouth and his face is rapidly reddenning. "A retirement home? A fucking retirement home! I'll kill you you fucking swaddled baby son of a bitch you fucking tosspot you-"

He was there, cursing your general existence one moment, the next, his sword almost kisses your neck. Oldhead's fast, but he can't be that tough, can he? You let the sword whistle above you and hit his knee as he dashes by. "Little goddamn shit I'll boil your bones you bitch-" and of course he doesn't go down. He strikes downwards three times, you block the first, you try to block the second and the strut snaps. Before he lands the third you reverse your grip and plunge it into his gut.

A funny gurgling sound crawls out of his mouth. Fatal? He's old. Anything could kill him. "You… I'll weave a scarf," a hand latches around your throat. You let it, more out of interest than anything. "Out. Of. Your vocal cords." It constricts like a vise, a spider. You break his wrist and he drops, still staring at you like he's got lasers in his eyes.

You turn at Yuexia. She's staring at the oldhead, cradling his hand against himself. Or Bubblegum, breathing steadily as she stares up at the roof. Out the corner of your eye you see the temps peeking at you past a shelf. Aw, fuck. You're gonna have to keep fronting.

Your cheek throbs. You still walk like you're missing your knees. And the bruises Metalhead gave you are hurting and not in the fun way.

[1.2] {Wrathful Manifestation} "You. Double or nothing. Let's go."
[]- "You should call a doctor or something. Your buddies are all dead or dying."