​     Niki and Trevor began with their stun-lines.

     Four of their attackers went down. Eight.

     Niki used her laser whip to swipe at what legs she saw.

​     Trevor stuck with his stun-lines, going for skulls.

     And, damn, those people were good with those clubs.

     Niki got nicked by one right above the ear.

     An edge of Trevor's ear spouted blood from a club swipe. 

     They both went triple speed after that, expending a lot of energy and creating a lot of havoc. Trevor had his laser knife out, so, for him, it all became about slice, slice, slice. He tried not to cut too deeply into flesh, he still didn't want anybody really hurt, but he did want him and Niki to be left alone.  

     Niki had trained so intently with the Azure for three years that, now, in actual combat, everyone except for her and Trevor seemed to move in slow motion. She struck with the sides of her fists at wrists, at elbows, at necks. She understood something they didn't, thank God, and that it was easier to take on six assailants at once than it was to fight one at a time.

     Niki heard a lot of grunts, a couple of groans, as well as a couple of shrieks of anguish. 

​     Yes, these people fought well...

     but they hadn't been trained by the Azure.

​     "Time to rise," Niki said. "You think?"

​     "I'm in," Trevor replied.

CONTINUE

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