Kung-Fu VS Street Brawler

Mika fiddled with the power button on her phone, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as it turned on. She quickly dialed Kazuya's number, not bothering to whisper as she spoke in the Vampli Café lobby, where a few curious onlookers were already giving her skeptical stares.
"Kazuya? I fucked up, I'm late. There's no way Xianshi is still at his hideout. Give me another lead."

Kazuya let out an irritated sigh, feeling as if Mika were relying on him too much. He tapped away on his laptop, searching for any additional information he could provide.
"Seems like he frequents a place called Otomo Stitching. He's got an illicit affair with the woman who owns the shop, and he's been known to be seen entering the back rooms. Shouldn't be too far from the Vampli Café where you're at. Now, stop calling me and get to work."
He hung up the phone with a grunt.

"Kazuya, wait! Dammit!"
Mika removed her phone from the charger, leaving her with just enough battery to search for Otomo Stitching on her GPS. Her mind was filled with anxiety as she sprinted through the crowded streets.

She used the back alleys of the various DVD and bookstores, giving her a shortcut directly to the small, family-owned clothing store. Mika burst through the door, pulling her revolver from her suit pocket. She watched as the customers began to flee, shouting in horror as she held the woman behind the counter at gunpoint. Mika had no sympathy in her mind during her crisis, and was willing to use any means necessary to regain her stolen money.
"Hands up! Tell me where Wang Xianshi is!"

The woman, in her late thirties, raised her hands over her head. She squinted her eyes at the sight of a revolver barrel against her forehead.
"Who?! I don't know anyone by that name, I swear!"

Mika watched as the woman's eyes trailed between the door and the counter. She was lying. Mika pressed the cold metal against her head, inching closer over the counter.
"Bullshit! Wang Xianshi is having an affair with you, isn't he?! Tell me where he is, or your head goes splat!"

The frightened woman let out a whimper of fear, pointing a shaky finger toward the staircase behind the counter.

Mika darted up the stairs, gun drawn as she kicked the lone door at the end of the hallway wide open. Her eyes widened. Before her, stood Wang Xianshi, softly cradling a baby boy in his strong arms. His face turned pale, and he whispered in a gentle voice.
"Please... just let me put the baby down. Don't shoot."

Mika felt her stomach begin to churn. She nodded her head, keeping her gun pointed at Xianshi as he laid the baby in its cradle.

Mika's throat was parched, and she let out an audible gulp. Her hands began to tremble around the gun she held, but she knew there had to be some sort of explanation as to what was really going on. Xianshi let out a long sigh, raising his hands behind his neck.
"Let's just talk, Bara-gumi... I don't like senseless violence."

Mika studied his bright, green eyes for signs of a lie, but all she could see was pain. She carefully lowered her gun, putting it in her breast pocket as she stepped closer.
"Just give me the money, and I'll leave. I don't enjoy senseless violence either."

Xianshi's eyes hardened. He scowled at Mika as a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.
"I'm afraid I can't give you the money... Please, just leave."

"I need that money, or Ninagawa Charlotte will kill me when I return. Don't be a hero, Xianshi."
Mika stepped even closer, not realizing who exactly she was about to be dealing with.

Xianshi let out a quiet chuckle, raising his hands by his face in an unusual fighting stance.
"Sorry, but I'm not giving up the money."

Mika's eyes flickered between the baby boy in his cradle and Xianshi's bizarre stance. There was no way she could risk firing a bullet and damaging an innocent infant's eardrums, let alone scarring him for life. She raised her guard to her face, clenching her fists into tight, little balls.
"So, be it. I'm not leaving here without that cash."

As soon as she blinked, Xianshi had disappeared. Mika's eyes widened as she turned to face behind her. She was met with a swift kick to her jaw, sending her tumbling into the bookshelf beside her. Within a picosecond, Mika jumped to her feet, blocking the next incoming attack with her bare hands. Xianshi's strength was formidable, unlike anything she had ever encountered before. He was quick, agile, and downright unstoppable. Multiple jabs landed on her mouth and nose, sending spurts of blood all around the room.

"Son of a bitch! Stop moving!"
Mika endured a brutal kick to her groin, forcing her to vomit onto the floor below. She collapsed in a pool of her own stomach acid, feeling as if her entire body were on fire. She had never encountered a foe quite like Xianshi; not even the Bara-gumi.

Mika's hand wiped her bloodied nose, watching as the bright, red fluid dripped onto the carpet. What the hell is wrong with this guy? Is he ex-military? Mika's mind raced a mile a minute as she regained her footing.

"You fight like a dog, little girl. I'm surprised the Bara-gumi has resorted to sending weak children for adult jobs."
Xianshi stayed in constant motion, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Mika struggled to stand.

"Did you just call me a dog?! You piece of shit! You don't get to call me that, you rotten gambler!"
Mika lunged forward with lethal force, just barely scraping against Xianshi's long coat. He leapt backward, his eyes widening from the erratic display of power.

"So, you fight better when you're insulted? Didn't anyone tell you, that's a shitty way to brawl?"
Xianshi jumped high in the air, landing a spinning roundhouse to Mika's head.
"Stay down, and shut up-"
His gaze turned fearful.

Mika had caught his leg in her small hand, angrily growling as she twisted the man to the ground with unrivaled strength. Xianshi's lungs emptied as his back hit the floor, leaving him stunned for a fraction of a second. Mika unsheathed her tanto blade, slashing directly toward his chest.

Xianshi kicked her wrist, causing her to yelp loudly. Her blade flew across the floor, and Xianshi had her neck in a chokehold. Mika clawed desperately at his forearm, letting a few strangled gasps from the back of her throat.

"Stop resisting! If you turn around and leave, I won't snap your neck! Give me a peace sign if you yield!"
Xianshi tightened his grip around her neck.

Mika immediately tossed up two peace signs with her fingers, coughing violently as her airways were released.
"You... can have the money... I need to live until I can kill Charlotte."

Xianshi let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He scooted back, panting heavily as his back rested against the wall.
"Kill Charlotte? That's a bold claim, Princess."

Mika raised an eyebrow at his unusual nickname for her, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she placed a piece of bubblegum in her mouth, leaning against the opposite wall as she stared at Xianshi with a heavy heart.
"Why do you need that money, anyway? Some kind of debt you need to pay off?"

Xianshi reached into his pocket, bringing his nicotine vaporizer to his lips. He puffed gently against the colorful tip.
"Something like that. I need to get my family out of Japan. You mentioned wanting to kill Charlotte? Well, I certainly hope you succeed."

Mika studied his eyes. She wasn't sure if she should ask, but she felt compelled to help Xianshi. He had just beaten her in combat, yet he spared her life as well. She popped a bubble against her lips, narrowing her eyes.
"Why are you trying to escape Japan? Are you in danger?"

Xianshi laughed. He shifted his weight against the wall, puffing one more cloud of smoke before his lips curled downward.
"It's a long story. You sure you want to hear it, Princess?"

Mika mimicked his posture, bracing herself for the story he was about to tell.
"Sure. I've got a pretty messed-up life of my own, so I'm game."