Alley Cat Universe - or ACU

Skylar's vision was becoming blurry, but he saw Thorn in a panic as she raised him up. He heard words but they were all muffled to him as his eyes began to tighten. He felt a warm embrace, it was gentle and strong, it reminded him of his parents...

"Do you feel better now?" His mother, Ruby, asked a five year old Skylar, who had been crying. "Yepp, your hugs are the best mom" young Skylar beemed. Skylar's father, George, walked over. "Looks like a bit of a cut" he commented, looking at Skylar's knee. "But your tough right son?" he asked. "Yepp, I get stronger everytime I'm hurt right dad?" Skylar asked. "That's right" George nodded. He got up looking more serious, he looked down at Skylar. "Promise to always be strong, so you can look after those you care about." As George said this he pulled Ruby beside her, looking at each other for a moment. "In addition, always remember that kindness is the best strength of all" His father lectured. "I promise" Skylar oathed...

"I....prom..ise..." Skylar managed to say with tears in his eyes, right before he passed out.

Crystal in the middle of a sewing a stitch when she heard a loud hit then a thud. "Crystal! Crystal get the first aid kit! It's in your closet!" Thorn yelled out. Crystal lept out the chair and darted to the closet grabbing the first aid kit and ran to where Thorn was. She opened the first aid pulling out a numbing creme. "Here! This will dull the pain" Crystal looked on the side of Skylar jaw to see if it was dislocated. "I think his jaw might be dislocated. If it is we might have to put it back in."

Thorn didn't know how to take care of others let alone an injured person. She moved Skylar to the black leathered couch. "Here! This will dull the pain" She looked down at the pain numbing creme. She handed it back to Crystal and smiled, slightly. "I'm not good at this type of this. You should do it." Before she heard Crystal say anything else to her she shifted into her cat form and ran out the cat door.

How can anyone be hurt and sad yet be so graceful? Thorn was walking beside the street on the sidewalk, doing her best to stay away from humans, which made her look like some cat that was a balerina. I'm not some super hero... NOT me. Why am I even trying to help people!? I'm a bad person. Bad, Bad, Bad... I bring pain and misfortune everywhere I go... Bruce is proof of that. Her head was twisting with thoughts, both good and bad. Although the bad outweighed the good. Poor Poor Bruce.

"OW!!!" Thorn felt someone step on her tail. Fingers dug into her greyish, whitish fur and picked her up. She scrambled for an escape but the hands held her firmly. Suddenly she felt something hit the back of her head and....

then Darkness.......

His Face.....

Brown loving eyes that are now filled with hate........

metal bars.....

Bruce....

Crystal looked at side of his jaw lightly pressing she could feel a lump. Thorn handed it back to Crystal and smiled, slightly. "I'm not good at this type of this. You should do it." She shifted into her cat form and ran out the cat door. Crystal watched as Thorn left with Skylar still out of it, she applied some of the creme on his side of jaw. She the ran back to her room and found a wooden spool. Soakin it in water and placed on the opposite side of his jaw. "This is gonna hurt just don't scream to much and don't punch me." Crystal said nervously as she held his jaw. "Grandma let this me do this right." She thought to herself then with a swift movement with her wrist moved his jaw right to left then up. The spool stopping at the proper point to be aligned.

Skylar's eyes began to open slowly. He remembered Thorn and how they were playing. His injury reminded he got his jaw busted. It seethed in pain. He opened his eyes fully, observing where he was. He was on a couch, there was water and first aid materials beside him. He noticed Crystal tending to him. "Thank you, all this" Skylar tried to speak, without moving his jaw too much. "Where Thorn?" he asked, hoping she wasn't being to hard on herself about it.

His face began to sweat from holding back the pain. It was intolerable, it felt as though a wrecking ball had slammed into him, "Have to suck it back, I can't have them worry so much about me" he encouraged himself. He managed to stay relatively silent and hold a small smile, hoping it would reassure her.

Crystal looked towards the side of Skylar's jaw and light press to see if the lump was gone. She felt smooth alignment and then put more numbing creme for the pain. "Thank you, all this" Skylar tried to speak, without moving his jaw too much. "Where Thorn?" Crystal looked back at Skylar. "She's outside I believe." Pointing at her cheek. "You have a spool in there on opposite side grit down on it. It'll help with pain and hold that jaw right in place." Crystal walked over to the door. "In a week your jaw should be functional." Turning into her cat form she looked for Thorn outside, but couldn't see Thorn anywhere when Crystal smelled the scent of another person. "Something is not right."

Skylar smiled weakly as he got up. "Gunna look" he mouthed. "Thank you for everything" Skylar patted her head and made his way out the door.

He started to look around the area, getting a bad feeling in his gut. "She's not the type to leave people, without notice" he thought to himself as he began to search more intently. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He ran through the district calling out her name, to no avail.

He rounded a corner and instantly noticed some fur and blood on the ground. "No..." Skylar trailed off, kneeling down to pick up the fur. It was Thorn's fur, he looked at the blood, turning pale at the possibility it was hers.

He ran back to Crystal, blood covered fur in his hand and jumped into the room. His face completely pale. "Something happened to Thorn!" he exclaimed, showing her the fur. The pain in his jaw was meaningless, compared to the fear of what may have happened. "Do you know anyone would do something to her?" he asked, frantic for an answer.

Crystal was feeling a little uneasy when Sklar left to find Thorn. Skylar ran back to Crystal, blood covered fur in his hand and jumped into the room. His face completely pale. "Something happened to Thorn!" he exclaimed, showing her the fur. "Do you know anyone would do something to her?" he asked, frantic for an answer. Crystal was very pale at the sight of blood and Thorn's fur. "I don't know!" She then began to think back when Crystal had first met Thorn. "But I think some gangs were after her, but she never said who it was. If anything maybe her previous owner or possibly she may have wronged in the past, but thats all I know." Crystal paused to think a bit harder. "But I remember when we met some nice nekos and human she acted a bit violent to fact some gangs maybe in the underground shops, maybe some people might know something."

Skylar took off out the window again without a word. He'd been in the underground shops before so he knew how to get there. He ran and ducked into a pipe which lead to the underground.

The first thing you notice is the smell, the smell of the sewage ended up down here. But the people were more toxic than the fumes. The people that hung around here were dangerous and cold. He was like that for a couple years himself. He was only seven than, but he could only be described as a monster back than. He hoped not to have to enter such a place again, but went in anyway. He had to find out what happened to Thorn.

He got stares and he walked. Most seemed to recognize him and swiftly avert their gaze. A few of them stood up and came forward. "So, look who we have here." one of them said, looking smug. "Back off Rocco, I've no business with any of you anymore. I'm looking for someone. A girl named Thorn, have you seen her?" Skylar asked calmly, although his patience was becoming thin. "Oh, you're looking for her. I know where she is..." Rocco wasn't able to finish as he was shoved up against the wall. "Tell me now!" Skylar demanded, his eyes cold. "Ss.she's with Bruce" Rocco stuttered out, fearful for his life. Skylar released him, as Rocco told her where to find him. "Thank you" Skylar nodded while running off. He felt a little guilty he lost himself like that. Maybe she meant more than he thought she did.

He bolted his was toward the house. Once he spotted it he busted through the door. "Thorn! Where are you!" he cried out, letting the call echo through the halls. His breathing was heavy from all his running. His jaw was killing him, searing in pain. He pressed on regardless.

Thorn was having a dream, wait not a dream. A Nightmare. She opened her eyes and looked into brown eyes that she knew so well but yet everytime she blinked they were the same. They were filled with hate, anger and so much fury. She looked around and saw a nice office room, that looked more like a bedroom. There was bed that had torn up sheets on it and there was some blood on the wall. She soon realized she was in a cage big enough for to stand up and lie down in, but even if she was in her cat form she wouldn't be able to get out the bars were too close.

"Aw, Sleeping Beauty Awakens." Those words. They chilled her to the bone and made her blood run cold. She looked up and saw him, the creature she ran away from. "Didn't think I would catch you again would I? Lucky for me Bruce was nice enough to tell us where you would be."

"NO." Thorn spoke one word but you could tell she was having a hard time not to spit bad words in his face. "Your NOT my master anymore. Thats NOT Bruce. Bruce wouldn't. He wouldn't betray me." She knew it was true but she just couldn't think poor, nice, generous Bruce would do that to her. She was in Denial. She looked back at Bruce. He was watching her, crouching beside the cage. His brown hair was fixed and he had a slight beard, he was dressed in black pants and back shirt. It made him look like some snotty rich guy, some guy he wasn't.

"Thorn. LIAR. You shouldn't be her, in this world at all. You deserve to be beaten and tortured." Bruce spoke and it wasn't what he said that made Thorn sad, it was his voice.. It was Icy, with enough anger in it to melt gold. Bruce moved forward and graved the metal bars with his hands. Thorn's eyes locked onto some fresh cuts and bruises on his wrist. It looked like they were more but she couldn't see, because he was wearing a long sleeved shirt.

Thorn realized how he had changed. They tortured him to get out information about her. They hurt him, and caused him pain and made him think she was the bad one. She couldn't take it she started crying like they was no tomarrow.

"We're in a building that has more then 28 floors, My dear. Don't think you have a chance to get away now. By the way this will be your temperary home for now. This is also one of the building I own, Remember the one you liked so much. I also got you a present." Her Master threw a box at Bruce, who caught it. Bruce opened it when her master left the room. It was a collar that had real Diamonds in it, it was also big enough for Thorn. Bruce opened the cage and Put it around Thorn's neck. Thorn didn't fight back, or even try to. She knew it. It would be useless to try it.

Bruce walked back out and left the room too but turned the lights off. Making everything go bacl except for the lights coming through the windows. Thorn lied there and watched the lights. All her hope was gone....

Skylar became to sprint up every floor of the building. It seemed to stretch on forever, as he ran up one set of stairs to the neck. Each time he reach a floor he would call out her name. Each floor he became more impatient and more desperate.

A thousand questions rang through his mind as he charged up the flights of stairs. "Who was Bruce to Thorn? Why would he kidnap her? Is she ok?" this thoughts piled on top of him. His heart was racing like a hummingbird. Each beat of his heart sent a surge of pain to his jaw. He knew he would have to fight. Would he be able to hold out against him? How many were there?. He shook his head, no time for fear. Nothing else mattered right now except her safety and protection.

He finally made it to the 28th floor, he burst through the door as he did the others. He flicked the light on and scanned the room, seeing Thorn alone in a cage. Her eyes were red and swollen, probably from crying.

"Thorn!" he called out to her, relief rushing over him. "I'm getting you out of here" he told her, lowering his voice so they weren't overheard. He took the lock in his hand and used his claw to pick it. Opening the cage, "Let's go" Skylar said smiling at her, with an out streched hand.

"Thanks for being there for me...." Yuen grinned. But was it just him or was there something up with the tone of the neko's voice? "Naw, scum like that needed to be taught a lesson. But anyways-"

Then her lips met his.

Dark Yuen was back all over again, taking control of the situation easily. Yet not so easily. He met Russet's kiss with a feirce possessiveness, turning something sweet to something hot and wild. Yuen backed Russet into the side of his car, hearing her hit it with a soft thump. Yuen couldn't think. All that was going through his head was the awareness of her. Russet, Russet, Russet. Everything was-

"Hey you two love birds. We need to beat the crap out of you." Fury shot through Yuen's veins. No fucking way. They were interupting this! He reluctantly ended the kiss, then slowly turned around.

Loathing dripped from Yuen's obsidian gaze. "Oh yeah? What makes you think you can?"

The redhead was quickly enveloped in the kiss, all thoughts of the previous scene forgotten in a flash. She was mesmerized by how his lips moved, how they seemed to match hers perfectly. It was all a blur; thoughts were mixing together, although they were all about Yuen so it didn't at all matter that she couldn't pick one away from the other. She faintly felt the cool metal of the car press against her back, but she didn't pause to check out the scenery. Instead her fingers wrapped around his belt-loops and she pulled him closer to her.

Of course that was when everything went down hill. Russet almost let out a whine as his lips pulled away from hers, but upon realizing the purpose of his stop she straightened, glaring daggers at the group of boys. She could see the one that Yuen had punched; he looked more pissed off than the rest of his buddies, which was a hard feat in itself.

"Do you mind?" she growled, icy blue eyes traveling between each face. "Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you can rain on our parade. I'm not sharing him, if that's what you want." Yes. She'd just called them gay. It was satisfying in itself.

Akira walked trough the underground, He heard some nekos talked about it so he came to check it out.
A few minutes later while he walked past various shops looking what they might sell, he sees some nekos stoping a other neko.
And looks at the neko that was standing there, wich seemed to have something wrong with his jaw.


As he looked he sees how the one neko pushed one of the nekos to the wall asking questions.
When the neko left he followed him into a building, Wich had alot of floors up and sees him climbing the stairs and hears him yell "Thorn" each floor they pas on.
On the highest floor he sees the neko entering a room which had a cage in there with a female neko in it, He stepped into the shadows of the hallway so they would't notice him yet.
But when they leave the room they can see him, He looked around thinking."Hhmm.. this seems to be a gangs hidout i better prepair myself for what comes next."

Thorn opened her eyes and saw Skylar. She thought she was dreaming so she smiled dopely and let out a broken giggle. Then she felt it. So much pain, and it all came from her broken heart full of betrayal. Her master, father, and friend all wrapped into one betrayed her.

"You need to leave. It's not safe. They'll come back and they'll break you like they did to me. Leave NOW." Thorn spoke coldly to Skylar. "If I leave with you they'll come look for me and kill the people I care about. So leave!" She smached his hand away and backed up into the corner of the cage. the collar her master gave her glittered in the light coming from the city lights outside the window by her cage.

To make hil leave she turned into her cat form and bared her teeth at him, hissing. Her fur was standing on end her pale grey eyes glowed with pain and anger. Bruce was caught because of her and was tortured for her. She wouldn't let Skylar become another toy for her master. "Please leave me alone. just please. She turned her head away, not looking at skylar, but at something in the hall. Another neko. She didn't yell out but she turned her gaze on Skylar. They were not full of hate. "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" She shifted into her human form and forced Skylar out of the cage. She locked it back up and went back to her corner.

Skylar saw Thorn's face up close. There was so much pain in her expression, so much sadness. All this time she had held back such deep unhappy emotions, yet could be still be so strong. He had no idea what she had suffered, no did he care. Skylar was not about to abandon her now. It was different this time, however, he wasn't protecting her for his promise. He was protecting her for an entirely different reason.

He didn't move an inch as she yelled at him and told him to leave. He just stood there, watching her emotions vary from anger to fear. "I will not leave without you" he said plainly and firmly. "They will not harm me or you. I will not allow it" he assured her, while she hissed at him. However, his wasn't completely sure he could handle them alone, not with a busted jaw. Still, he would fight for her.

As she pushed him out of the cage and herself into a corner. He walked into the cage and pulled her into an embrace. He held tightly not to let her escape. To assure her he would not let himself be torn away from her. "Shh, your not alone any more I will be by your side always from now on" Skylar cooed softly into her ear. He yanked the collar off her neck, throwing it across the room. "That didn't suit you at all" he chuckled a little, trying to cheer her up.

Thorn leaned into Skylar just for a second. If only she could stay there and let herself be protected, but she couldn't. No one could not even Skylar. She pushed herself against the bars of the cage trying to get away from Skylar. Her ears were pressed against her skull. When Skylar took the collar off she whimpered, as the bars started to dig into her skin. She wanted to get away from Skylar away from the person who she liked so very much.

"Oh Dear. Here I was, thinking Thorn had no heart but of course she had spirit. Now I broke her spirit and I think I need to break her heart." Thorn's Master's voice filled the room coming from a speak at the far corner of the room. The plasma TV turned on right under the camera. Her master's darknened Face filled the screen. Then Bruce's Cat form appeared walking toward Thorn and Skylar. He shifted into his human form and glared at Skylar. He picked up the Diamond collar, running his fingers over the diamonds.

"Thorn. Walk out of the cage, now." Bruce commanded her as he walked closer to the cage, with his cold brown eyes locked on Skylar. Thorn stood up, looking at the floor, walked out of the cage away from Skylar and behind Bruce. She moved without seeing, it was like she was a ghost. "Now go back to him. You know where he is." Bruce gave the collar back to Thorn.

Thorn looked back at Skylar with tears in her eyes. She put the collar back on. "I told you to leave...." She walked out of the room and into the hallway. She looked over at Akira the neko who was spying on her and Skylar. She wanted to tell him to leave but she couldn't. Betrayal was still on her mind. Suddenly she felt an electric jolt go through her. Thorn collasped, gasping for breath.

The collar she was wearing was also an electric collar. It sent more electric jolts into her, making her scream out in pain. Her broken hair covored half her face but no need to see her eyes to see that she was crying too.

Bruce moved with easy and grace built up over his years and closed the cage door, locking Skylar in it. He heard Thorn's scream but kept focused on the task at hand. He took out a combination lock and locked the cage with it. "You should have listened to her." He whispered the words to Skylar as he turned to the TV and smiled.

Skylar heard a cold eerie voice from behind him. It sent a chill down his spine. He turned quickly to see the man responsible for Thorn's pain and suffering. That cold chill quickly turned into scorching hate, as he glared daggers at the man. His voice held no emotion or remorse, just a cruel desire for control. Skylar could only bare his teeth as the man as he spoke.

He watched as Thorn listened to Bruce's command, looking so powerless and helpless. She looked so pale and lifeless, she was a ghost of herself. She obeyed every order without question. Had this man really broken her spirit? If so, what had he done to her? The thought only increased his rage. The Thorn he knew could not be so easily controlled, she was stronger than this. He watched her as she turned toward him with tears in her eyes, as she left the room. He was going to save her, no matter the cost. He turned his gaze back to Bruce, but he had been locked in the cage. He tried to claw at the man, with nothing but a killer intent in Skylar's eyes.

From inside he could hear the screams of Thorn, it tore him apart to hear her like that. "Let her go!" Skylar demanded, through his teeth. "She doesn't belong to scum like you!" he spat. More screams, Skylar rammed the cage with his shoulders, bruising himself more than the cage. "Take me instead!" Skylar called out. "Or are you to weak to handle a man on your own?" He insulted, a plan coming to his mind. He glanced over at the Akira in hiding, if Skylar couldn't handle this, he would need his help. "Only weak men rely on betrayal and deceit to control others. Real men can maintain control without help. Which are you?" Skylar challenged, trying to coax Bruce to take him out of the cage, even if only for a sec.

"Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you can rain on our parade. I'm not sharing him, if that's what you want." Yuen froze. Was she serious? She had to be! His angry face cracked, and laughter started leaking out. "Pffft! Oh Russet! Bahaha!" Yuen wasn't sure why he was laughing so much, but it was so like his neko to poke fun even in such a serious situation! The group of guys looked at each other, unsure how to react. One of them even started to laugh a bit before being elbowed by another. The leader scowled, his hands balling up into fists. "You think that's funny, huh? I'll show you funny!" Yuen could tell what was going to happen, but was still weak from laughing so hard. So all the guy could so was jump in front of Russet when the blow came, hitting Yuen directly in the stomache. He gasped, fighting for air, but finding none. Yuen fell to the ground. "You... You dare hit a girl!"

Thorn felt cold, and tired all of a sudden. Everything that touched her felt rough and menacing, so she curled into a ball. Her skin was paler then it should have been and she was breathing heavily. The collar finally stopped shocking her but her mind was empty, there were no thoughts, no memory of what she was doing her. She let out a moan as she tried to remember who she was, what she was. She tried standing back up but failed and fell back to the ground. Her muscles ached as if they hadn't been used in awhile.

Bruce looked down at Skylar and snorted. He was trying to bait Bruce into harming him or let his feelings get in the way. Bruce taught Thorn how to fight and control her feelings and he was alot better at it then her. He looked at the door and into the hallway where Thorn was. There were no more screams so he thought the collar must have done it's job. He looked at the TV screen, where his master was and nodded. His master nodded and then Bruce collasped, falling into unconsionous. If you looked closer you could see a black leather collar under his shirt.

Thorn opened her eyes and saw Akira. She didn't know who he was, but that he was a person. She sighed and closed her eyes. She fell asleep...

Skylar heard the screaming stop. He feared the worse had happened to Thorn. He was hoping that Bruce would be tempted to open the cage. He waited patiently for his chance.

Skylar's plan had failed. He had underestimated his enemy once again. Bruce only snorted by Skylar's efforts. He began to knock hard on the cage, desperate for a miracle. He couldn't fail. not now. Not when he had come so far. Tears began to form in his eyes, feeling a sense of utter failure.

It was at that time the T.V came on. The man on the screen nodded at Bruce, who fell instantly to the ground. "What?" Skylar pondered. What the man on the screen the real mastermind? He needed to know, but more importantly he needed out of this cage. Skylar scanned the cage desperately. Than he noticed something, the bars were close together but not that close where he may be able to squeeze out in his cat form. He was skinner than Thorn was, so it might just work. Problem was, changing forms with his busted jaw. The pain would be tremendous, breaking his jaw completely at the best outcome. Still, this may be his only chance, with Bruce out cold. He took a deep breath, "Please, mom, dad, let me your strength" he called to them in his mind.

He began to transform, the pain making his mind go blank. He screamed loudly and high pitched from the pain. Still, he held on as best he could, until finally he was in his neko form. Blood began to ooze out of his mouth, he had to spit some onto the floor to prevent from choking. "I hope this works" Skylar prayed. He began to shimmy himself between the bars. The worse part was the head, as his jaw was knocked around sending wave after wave of pain through his body. Once his head was through the rest of him came out easy. He breathed heavy, his mind and vision were blurred. The first thing he did was check on Bruce. Skylar noticed a collar around his neck, yet it seemed different from a regular one. He removed it and smashed it on the ground. "Was that controlling him?" he wondered. His thoughts quickly turned to Thorn, he ran out the door to see her on the ground. The smell of burning flesh almost made him tear up. Regardless, he changed forms again. His passed out from a minute before regaining his senses. He picked her up and began to slowly walk down the stairs, finding it hard to see the steps. He prayed that it was over.

Thorn slept deepily that is until she felt hands picking her up. They felt rough and cold just like everything else. She tensed and saw a guy with silver hair carrying her down stairs. Her first thought was, What the hell!? and then she felt a shot of blind panic. She tensed and started struggling to get away from the stranger. Her muscles still ached but she forced them to work and move.

"Ow!" Thorn yelped out as she fell and landed down some stairs and onto some cement. She rolled slowly, back onto her feet. There was a small cut on her cheek under her eye going downwards before blood could start oozing out she covored it with her hand. "W-What do y-you want? Whoever you are j-just leave me a-alone!"

Thorn's throat hurt some but she ignored it. Her voice sounded like she had been using it too much. The diamond collar was still around her neck but she did nothing to remove it. To her it felt comfortable and some-how familiar. Her brown was a bit tangled and messing as it fell around her face, sheilding her collar from veiw.

Skylar was shocked at Thorn's reaction to him, as she jumped out of his hand. She seemed to be unaware of who he was, different somehow. He noticed she had an injury on her cheek. "Are you okay Thorn?" he asked, a sense of unease rushed over him. He didn't like the way she was acting, it troubled him. He noticed the collar on her. "Was the collar the problem?" he thought, thinking back to Bruce. "It's me Skylar, you remember who I am right?" he asked, hoping she would recall him. "Thorn I need you to take off that collar, it's dangerous." he added beginning to get a good sense of what the collar was doing. He reached forward carefully to try and take it off her. "You can trust me" Skylar assured her, his hand outstretched to hers.

Thorn jumped back away from Skylar, stumbling a bit. She was tired and felt like she could sleep the rest of her off. She wanted and needed to sleep but this was not great place to fall asleep at. "You can trust me" Skylar assured her. Her snarky attitude snapped in place as he said those words. "How could I trust a stranger?" She snapped back at him.

"I'm fine" Thorn replied, as she put her hand to her neck, feeling the diamond collar. It reassured her that she could somehow take this guy if he tried to get grumpy. She felt her back touch the wall and leaned on it for awhile until she thought the stranger might take that as sign of weakness. Well she wouldn't be weak now. "You might be a theif too. How could I give my collar to a theif?"

Without thinking about it she bolted away from the guy, before he could answer her qustions. She shifted into her cat form when she lunged out of the building. Her diamond collar glittered as the street lights came on when she was running. Strange guy. At least I lost him... She thought just as new thoughts were whispered into her mind. He's a murderer... A theif... A stealer of lives... you let him get away... you should have killed him... Stunned by this voice in her head she stopped in the middle of an alley. Why did you stop Thorn?? You really should have taken that skum's life....

A grin spread across Russet's lips as Yuen's laughter broke out. Of course he got her joke quickly - the others seemed to be taking some time realize exactly what she'd said. Her bright blue gaze snapped back to the leader as he appeared to grow more irritated. The grin slowly disappeared as she realized that the guy was about to hit her. Frozen in shock, she found her only defense was the boy who had thrown himself before her. Her eyes followed him as he fell and yet she couldn't move. Her heart beat with a steady, deep thump, thump. And then there was rage. "Thanks for that, Yuen," she said quietly before looking up at the leader with a dark expression. "Hey punk," she continued in a low voice. Russet suddenly lurched forward, rearing a fist back and slamming it into the leader's jaw, sending him staggering backwards several feet. It might have been an odd situation to see a girl fighting despite her attire, a mini-skirt and a tank top. But she didn't exactly care. "You touch him again and I swear I'll knock you up so badly that you will beg for mercy."