By EliadS

** Office, back of the “Mole” restaurant **

Mole enters his office, his satisfied grin still apparent on his face. He closes the door behind it and locks it, then he sighs contently, looking at his small office. The room is 40 on 40 feet in its diameter. There is a desk close to the wall, a fancy leather chair before it.

There is a large cabinet against the wall to his left, the cabinet full of all kinds of exotic items some of his clients have given him. He sits beside one the chair beside his desk and cradles his head in his hands.

Then he looks up for a second, his brown eyes gazing into space, he smirks and then sits straight, he opens a drawer in his desk and takes out a phone. This phone was his secret phone, a number for only his “special” clients and not the diners at his restaurant.

“I wonder how much money I’ll be able to squeeze out of this favor I’m doing for Adam” Mole thinks while punching in a phone number. “Hello”

He hears the deep male voice of the owner of the Stripping bar where Tengu works at answer him and ask him what the h*ll he wants and how he got this number.

“Hey chill man! It’s me Mole, I need to talk to Blaze for a sec…” Mole says calmly. The owner answers him and he listens patiently.

“Whadda mean she’s busy? I don’t give a sh*t! Tell her to move her pretty lil’ a** right now, this is urgent!” Mole says with slight irritation. Usually Mole would understand but suddenly upon thinking about the situation again he realizes the group known as the Shinobi doesn’t play games, and feels he must tell Adam A.S.A.P, and that’s why the sudden impatient reply escapes his throat.

“Good, Lemme talk to her now” He says and waits until he hears the gruff male voice exchanged by Tengu’s low and soft feminine one.

“Hey Mole? What’s so urgent that you had to drag me outta the shower? I’m in a freaking wet towel and dripping water in the middle of the f**king hallway cause of you.” she says, not bothering to hide an not too subtle tone of irritation which is well apparent in her voice.

“It’s not like you don’t strip and dance in the nude in public already Kimberly, so what’s the problem, chill down” Mole asks slyly, smirking against the receiver knowing he’s sparked up her nerves.

She growls lightly “Just because I’m a stripper don’t mean I enjoy standing in the middle of the freaking hallway, soaking wet so I can talk to the likes of a moron like you!” she says, snapping at the scrawny Asian fixer irritably.

“Geez, calm down, don’t make a scene,” He says, chuckling lightly.

“If you’re gonna just tease and keep me dripping I’m off,” she says. Mole upon hearing her can visualize the angry and impatient Asian stripper tapping her foot while clothed only in a moist and small towel which hugs her lithe frame tightly. He can imagine her hair falling on her shoulders, all moist and wet.

He loses his train of the thought for a second at the mental picture, his eyes gazing into space a goofy grin on his face before he hears her say “Fine! Just waste me time and make me get ill!” in a quite angry tone.

“Whoa! Whoa! Wait! I really do have something important to say," He says hurriedly in an apologetic tone.

“I got some important information I need you to pass on to Adam, is he there?” He asks, his face serious again, ”Business before pleasure…yeesh lost myself for a second there, well she is hot…hehe” he thinks and recomposes himself.

“Yeah, he’s here with his friends, you know he is this day of the week, so what’s so important, and this better not be a hot mission, cause that could’ve waited and you know it!” she says, still agitated (author’s note: Hey, wouldn’t you in her place?).

“I don’t know what he’s done, but Tell Adam the Shinobi clan is looking for him. Oh and If he sees a Japanese girl around 18-19, hot body, long black hair, clothed in a pair black leather pants, a white T-shirt and a black jacket, tell him to take a strategic retreat.” Mole says.

“Shinobi?! You mean he’s got the strongest and most deadly Ninja Clan in Japan looking for him? Whoa! He ain’t gonna be a happy camper, I’ll break him the news once I finish my shower and get dressed.” She says, calming down, understanding it was indeed important.

“Ok, but tell him he owes me one. Oh and don’t forget to dry off good, I Don’t want men coming by my restaurant saying I ruined their evening by helping you ruin the merchandise, if ya know what I mean ” Mole says and smirks to himself.

“*Small impatient and annoyed growl* Yeah, Yeah whatever already, Bye Mole” Blaze says, probably anxious to finish her shower and dry off by the sounds of it. Then Mole can hear her hang up and he follows suit.

Meanwhile outside the Restaurant Ibuki is leaning against the wall. Holding a handheld digital tape recorder and grinning. She’s wearing a pair of headphones one her ears, having listened on the whole conversation she now knows were to find Adam Winters.

“Well, Well, Well…looks like I was right after all. Heh! Fixers! Their word’s worth less than a old chewed up chunk of bubble gum.” She mutters and smirks. She clicks on the record button and thus cuts off the recording process while smiling, her face beaming with satisfaction on a plan well executed.

She takes off the headphones and curls their wire around the digital recorder, then she tucks them in her purse and closes it. ”This’ll be very useful later…I better stop by the house and drop this off…” Ibuki thinks and then removes the bug from the phone line. ”This might come in handy some other time…” she muses as she heads off towards her home after also putting it in her purse.

** 2 hours later, Outside a well known stripping bar, central Tokyo **

A large crowd of men is standing outside the bar, most of these young men are drunk, others just have an odd and suspicious glazed look in their eyes, probably a side effect of the show seen within the walls of the club.

Ibuki hmphs to herself under her breath “Perverts…” she mutters as she brushed through the crowd.

“Hey are you a new dancer baby? How bout I show you some special dancing?” One of them says, the aroma of alcohol quite sharp from his mouth, reeking and causing Ibuki to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

Ibuki pushes him aside “As if…” she mutters before she feels him grab her arm. “I dun’ *hic* recall givin’ you a ch…choice” he slurs drunkenly.

Ibuki’s eyes narrow as a crowd begins to gather, the crowd seemingly willing to grope her. Ibuki’s growls in a quite unladylike way. “Back off…I’m warning you…” she says in a low and menacing tone.

Someone suddenly hugs her waist with one arm and rubs her thigh with the other hand moving up toward rear side, laughing in his drunken state. Ibuki’s foot whips upward, hitting his head which is leaned on her shoulder quickly, her shoe ramming into his nose, sending him tumbling to the ground heavily after letting go of her.

Ibuki’s face flushes red with anger, her teeth now gritted and her muscles stiff and ready as her foot reaches the ground.

“Anyone else wanna try his luck?” she asks, moving her hands in a quick punch Kata to emphasize she know how to fight. She then locks her gaze on one of the people as a group of them begin approaching her. She then enters a defensive stance while sizing up the number of her opponent by their Auras.

The whole scene causes a commotion, many people gathering around to see Ibuki deal blows to the drunken men who’re trying to touch her.

One of the people in this crowd is the stripper nicknamed Blaze; the Asian woman now clad in casual clothes. She raises a brow and then winces as she sees Ibuki breaks someone’s nose with a powerful punch.

Ibuki’s face becomes deadly calm, all her senses concentrated on the group trying to get her. She swats aside a punch from one of them and sidesteps, avoiding a knife thrust from behind her, then she grabs the knife holding hand’s wrist and pulls the man against her back before placing her hip against his abdomen.

Then Ibuki useshis weight and the leverage of her arm to throw him over her right shoulder and right into the face of another one, both men collapse into a heap and Ibuki quickly resumes her stance, her facade still neutral, her mind in battle mode.

“You idiots really should’ve learned by now” she says, shaking her head slightly, sighing lightly “But then again, most men I meet are morons…So why would you jerks be an exception” she thinks and sighs at the irony and sarcasm.

Blaze’s eyes skim over Ibuki, she looks at her and goes wide-eyed. She looks at Ibuki’s fighting prowess and her bodily features and clothing.

Ibuki meanwhile does a split and ducks under someone trying to stab her from behind, then she picks herself slightly with her hand and brings both feet flying backwards over her head.

The blow rams into someone’s nose and sends him reeling. The crowd of non-attackers claps and cheers, at these cheers Ibuki snarls, disgusted by them and really getting impatient, anxious to find her target.

“It’s her…I gotta tell Adam,” She thinks, before she sees Adam coming outside to see what the whole mess is about, curious at the shouting. He is wearing a loose black t-shirt covered by a red tank top. He is wearing some jeans and boots and seems all in all, quite handsome, his black hair blowing with the currents of the night breeze.

Blaze dashes toward him and grabs his shirt, forcing him to look at her and listen to him. He turns to her and looks puzzled.

“What’s up Kim? You look distressed?” he muses, looking at the fight again, raising a brow but looking amused by the sight of Ibuki moping the floor with the drunken men.

“Adam! You gotta get outta here now,” She says, pulling him forward.

“Whoa! What? Why? What’s wrong?” He asks, looking at her and seeing the beckoning and serious look in her eyes.

“That woman’s here looking for you, Mole told me she was at his place and asking where you were on the phone, she fits the description,” She says.

“Who? That woman?” he asks, pointing at Ibuki, looking doubtful

Blaze nods “Yeah she’s a Shinobi by what Mole says, looks like you’ve p*ssed up some serious powers in the Japanese power ladder, you better watch ya back partner, we still got missions to run” she says seriously.

Adam nods “I see…Dunno what I did…” He says before he remembers his last mission and realization hits him like a bolt of lightning hits a magnetic source and his eyes widen slightly.

“Come to think of it…I do know…well thanks for the warning, I’ll contact you, I guess I owe you, Tengu” he says with a small smirk and winks, referring to her by her thieving name.

“You bet I’ll be calling up the favor later Adam, no get the h*ll outta here! Oh! And Mole says you owe him too, not that you care but still” She says and pushes slightly while smirking as well and winking back.

“Ok, Ok, I’m going, I’m going” he says.

Meanwhile Ibuki is getting tired, noticing the men are slowly giving in. One of them grabs a metal rod and lunges at her blindly. Ibuki ducks under the clumsy attack and grabs his wrist.

She sweeps his feet while twisting his wrist. The blow to his feet sends him off balance and Ibuki’s grip on his hand causes him to spin forward and land face first into the concrete.

Ibuki suddenly sees Kimberly talking to Adam. “Winters…” She mutters. Adam looks toward her and points. Then he sees Ibuki eyeing him, for a split second their eyes lock and then Adam begins walking away.

Ibuki dodges a blow aimed at her back and instead of retaliating she sprints forward. She picks up some speed before kicking off the ground. She amazes the crowd by leaping over all of the while somersaulting.

Adam looks over his shoulder and then takes off, running towards a back alley, his muscles tense and his eyes glow softly as he concentrates his chi, “This outta shake her off my tail” He thinks. Ibuki’s eyes turn serious as she runs after him. “Winters! Stop!” She shouts after him.

He doesn’t reply as he turns into the alleyway. Ibuki follows but then raises a brow. She feels his aura move to a different alley “How? Could it be teleportation? Must be…d*mn this complicates things…” she muses to herself. Growling slightly and sprint towards the location.

Adam is leaning against the wall “What she’s still on my track? D*mn…” he mutters as he begins running again “Seems I can’t lose her with teleportation…I’ll find a way though…” he thinks and takes off.

Just as he does Ibuki enters the area where he hid hot on his heels. Adam takes a turn and curses as he sees a large wooden fence and springs forward faster, channeling a portion of his Chi into his muscles.

He leaps forward and places his hands on the fence’s top and pushes off it with his hands, the action pulls him up and he flips over the fence, the whole gesture took a few seconds and then he lands on his feet and keeps on running. Ibuki doesn’t seem phased by the fence and keeps on running the same.

When she’s half a foot’s distance from the fence she kicks off the ground, her leg muscles strain as her body is pushed off the ground; she pulls her weight down and curls into a ball. She somersaults and lands lightly on the balls of her feet and keeps on running the same.

“I ain’t gonna lose ya Winters, you should know better than to think you can outrun a ninja…” She mutters to herself, breathing heavily yet in a repetitive pace which keeps her from hyperventilating or breaking down. She grits her teeth and runs faster as she feels she’s slowly closing the gap between them.

Adam is breathing heavily as well, the running at the feverish high-effort pace taking its toll. He looks up and sees some fire escape stairs. He focuses his Chi and looks up at them. Ibuki senses him power up and curses trying to gain on him.

His body is enveloped in a bluish hue and his body melts into his surroundings after a blue flash ensues. He then reappears on the stairs. Ibuki stops and looks up at him, he looks down at her while panting.

Then begins walking up the stairs. The stairs are closed and too high for Ibuki to reach; she curses and then sees some clotheslines, hanging from between the windows of two apartments on opposite sides of the alley.

She inhales deeply and takes a short sprint; she pushes against the ground as hard as she can and pumps her Chi into her leg muscles as she runs toward the wall. Then she jumps as high as she can; she plants her feet on the stone surface and then kicks off it with all her strength.

She outstretches her hands and just barely manages to grab a clothesline, she winces as her hands as the plastic line digs into her skin slightly, leaving a mark but luckily not breaking the skin.

She then brings her feet up and wraps them on the line, then with an awesome show effort and prowess she swings on the line once before pulling herself up until she’s crouching on the line.

The line begins bending as the weight is not divided equally and Ibuki quickly leaps forward and grabs onto the outer metal railing of the fire escape stairs. Adam looks at her, impressed as he runs faster up the stairs.

Ibuki pants through grit teeth and begins pulling herself upwards using the metal bars as leverage to execute this. She climbs carefully yet very quickly up the outer line. Her muscles are developed enough to carry her lithe and perfectly balanced body up the line quickly. She surpasses her body’s normal limits by using her Life force to aid her as she climbs.

The display of climbing is quite impressive and one that might remind some of the neighborhood friendly web slinger himself. As she reaches the rooftop which is 10 stories high she sees Adam standing in the middle of the roof, looking around.

She barely manages to pulls herself up and stands up tiredly, her face flushed and her breathing very heavy “De…*pant*…dead…*quick inhale, sharp exhale* end…*gulp*…Win…Winters…” she says, smiling victoriously.

He eyes her neutrally and waits till she’s facing him. “So you think you’ve cornered me? Don’t you?” he asks outstretching his arms.

Ibuki raises a brow and gives him an “Are you crazy?” look while rolling her eyes soon after “Obviously, you can’t teleport…cause I…I’ll syou and I won’t miss…” She states tiredly showing him a Kunai Dagger strapped to her thigh.

“Well I hope you’ve enjoyed it, cause that’s all it’s lasted…” he says and then breaks into a sprint towards the railing of the roof.

“No! Winters are you Crazy? What’re you doing?” she shouts, dashing to try and grab him. He leaps across the gap between the roof and a shorter 3-story building. His feet are surrounded by a soft Blue hue as he cushions his fall with his Chi.

When he lands he turns to look at her, he smirks to himself and walks down the stairs casually, far beyond her reach before melting into the dark alley. Ibuki growls in frustration.

“D*mn!” she says audibly and sighs before falling, and landing on her rear end gently, now sitting on the roof and panting tiredly. ”That went well, He’s slippery to pursue like this…I can’t capture him with force. Hmm…then it seems I’ll need to bring him to me then, make him fight me on my turf and level, but how?” She thinks and cradles her chin with her hand.

Then an idea reaches her mind and she grins. ”I reckon it’s time I got some help, time to use the heavy artillery so to say” She thinks and sits there for another minute or so before getting up and walking towards the fire escape stairs, a plan already beginning to build in her mind.