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Crack.

She swung her fist toward his jaw, and his head whipped to the side from the impact. Getting her first look at him, the strange man appeared to be in his fifties, with deeply tanned skin and a freshly shaven face.

But before she could take pride in the solid hit, he retaliated with a brutal backhand to her right cheekbone.

The force of the blow sent Khalani careening to the ground. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she scrambled to her feet, preparing for another strike. But the stranger suddenly screamed in agony as a blade pierced through his left shoulder.

He reached behind to yank out the knife hilt, but a larger figure launched forward and struck him viciously in the jaw.

She would know that large silhouette anywhere.

The stranger scrambled back, his eyes wide with fear. Takeshi’s expression, on the other hand, blazed with an almost palpable fury as he locked onto Khalani, immediately zeroing in on the mark on her face.

“He hit you?” Takeshi’s body froze, his voice dangerously calm, but his hands trembled.

Her pulse raced uncontrollably as words failed her, and she could only nod.

Takeshi’s breathing came out slow and heavy as he turned back to the wounded man struggling to his feet.

She could only see the back of Takeshi’s head, but the stranger’s face went pale at whatever expression stared back at him.

In a swift, violent motion, Takeshi hurled the disoriented man against the side of a rusted car like a ragdoll. The metal groaned on impact as the man collapsed to the ground.

Takeshi wrenched open the door with a loud creak and pulled the man’s arm up inside the vehicle. With the man’s arm stilltrapped inside, Takeshi slammed the car door onto the man’s elbow, pressing his full weight into it.

Khalani heard the sickening crack from where she stood, and a shiver ran through her at the man’s agonized scream.

Takeshi ripped the knife from his other shoulder as pitiful moans filled the air, but Takeshi ignored them, pressing the bloody blade against his throat, just like the man had done to her.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, swinging a heavy club.

Khalani screamed, “Watch out!”

But it was too late.

The club collided with Takeshi’s head in a sickening thud. He crumpled to the ground next to the car, the knife clattering beside him.

“Takeshi!” Khalani’s cry pierced through the night.

She charged toward him, but a rough cloth was shoved over her mouth from behind. The acrid, chemical stench of the cloth filled her nostrils.

She thrashed against the firm grip encircling her, but her vision started wavering.

No.

Fight.

You have to…fight…

Everything dimmed and blurred.

The last thing she saw was the lingering, cold moon, continuing to stare and judge the violence of humanity, before her head smacked against the concrete and her vision went utterly black.

***

“Khalani.”

A static ringing invaded her ears.