Welcome to The Junkyard aka Kira’s Territory!

The junkyard gates creaked under the strain, the rusted metal groaning as they parted to reveal the shadow of the Veteran. His heavy boots crunched over the gravel, his cybernetic arm whirring faintly with each step. The place reeked of rust and decay, the air thick with an oppressive stillness that only amplified his unease.

The Veteran adjusted his coat, his sharp gaze scanning the labyrinth of scrap and rusting metal. He paused for a moment, noticing the faint glow of a light emanating from the small house nestled in the centre of the junkyard.

"This must be it," he muttered, his voice gruff.

As he approached, the door creaked open slightly, revealing Kira.

standing in the doorway. She leaned casually against the frame, her sharp eyes fixed on him like a predator sizing up her prey.

"We're closed," she said flatly, her voice calm but carrying a subtle edge.

The Veteran raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard. His eyes swept over her lean, toned build, her intricate braids, and the sharp, piercing gaze that seemed to cut right through him.

She looked young, but there was something unsettling about her presence, something that made his instincts scream at him to tread carefully.

"I'm not here to shop," he said, trying to regain his composure. "I'm here for the boy. Hand him over, and I'll leave. No need for unnecessary casualties tonight."

Kira's expression didn't change, but her eyes flickered for a brief moment, a dangerous glint flashing within them.

"Casualties?" she repeated, her voice quiet but cold.

The Veteran took a cautious step forward, his cybernetic arm raised slightly in a non-threatening gesture. "Look, I don't want any trouble. Just give me the boy, and we can end this without bloodshed."

But before he could finish his sentence, Kira's demeanour shifted.

Her head tilted slightly, her eyes narrowing with a predatory gleam.

The faintest smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Bloodshed?" she echoed, her tone mockingly curious. Then, in an instant, her entire expression darkened. "You're funny."

The Veteran barely had time to react before Kira launched herself at him, her movements a blur. Her first strike was a sharp kick aimed at his midsection, which he barely blocked with his cybernetic arm. The force of the blow sent him stumbling back, his boots scraping against the gravel.

"You don't seem to understand where you are," Kira said, circling him like a wolf. Her voice was calm, almost playful, but her eyes burnt with a fierce intensity. "This is my territory."

The Veteran gritted his teeth, recovering quickly. He swung his arm in a wide arc, aiming to catch her off guard, but Kira ducked under the attack with ease, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. She drove her elbow into his ribs, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his body.

"You're fast," the Veteran admitted, backing away to create some distance.

"And you're slow," Kira retorted, her tone dripping with mockery.

The Veteran's patience was wearing thin. He activated the shock modules in his cybernetic arm, electricity crackling as he prepared for his next attack. But before he could strike, Kira's expression suddenly changed.

She froze, her movements halting as if something invisible had gripped her. Her eyes flickered, and for a brief moment, they glistened with unshed tears. Her entire body trembled, and her confident smirk dissolved into a look of vulnerability.

Kira's voice cracked as she whispered, almost to herself,

"Casualties... No... No more..." Her hands trembled, her breathing growing uneven.

"What the hell is going on?" the Veteran muttered, his stance loosening as he watched her.

But Kira didn't respond. She fell to her knees, clutching her head as if trying to block out the voices in her mind. The tears continued to flow, and she began rocking back and forth, whispering incoherently.

The Veteran's confusion turned to cautious determination. Seizing the opportunity, he pushed past her and stormed into the house. He scanned the room quickly, his sharp eyes landing on the couch where Zane had been laid earlier.

But the house was empty.

"You've got to be kidding me," the Veteran growled, spinning around to search the shadows.

Before he could react, a sharp pain exploded at the back of his head.

He stumbled forward, turning just in time to see Zane standing behind him.

But this wasn't the Zane he had seen earlier. The boy's eyes were cold and unyielding, his entire presence radiating a primal, almost feral energy. He didn't speak. He didn't hesitate. He attacked.

Zane's movements were brutal and precise, his strikes infused with raw power and unrelenting fury. The Veteran struggled to defend himself, his cybernetic arm straining against the sheer force of the boy's blows.

Amid the chaos, Kira remained still at the edge of the battlefield, watching intently, her tear-streaked face tight with conflicting emotions.

As Zane landed another devastating blow, the Veteran stumbled back, barely able to keep his footing.

Kira's gaze shifted between the fight and the devastation around them. Her fists clenched, and her breath came in short bursts as a deep, cold fury began to rise within her.

She didn't move at first, but as Zane took a heavy hit, his body crumpling under the weight of the Veteran's retaliation, Kira's resolve hardened.

Without a word, she sprang into action, her movements swift and fluid as she closed the distance between them.

She joined the fray not with a desperate rush, but with calculated precision. Her strikes were measured, perfectly synchronised with Zane's, each blow cutting through the Veteran's defences with deadly intent.

The Veteran realised too late that he was outmatched. These weren't just ordinary opponents – he was facing monsters.

"I'll be back," he muttered under his breath, activating the emergency shockwave in his suit. The blast sent both Zane and Kira flying backward, giving him just enough time to retreat into the shadows.

As the dust settled, Zane collapsed, his energy completely spent. Kira rushed to his side, cradling him in her arms as she watched the Veteran disappear into the night.