Mango’s Hot Take

She’d seen Laz fight. This was going to be tough. Not only was he a master at combat thanks to John’s advice, but also she had to get away from him long enough to somehow board a moving plane.

Just another Tuesday.

Mango reached for her knives.

Focus, activate Knife Shade, she thought.

<<<>>>

[Acknowledged. Activating Knife Shade.]

[Target: Laz.]

[Combat focus enabled.]

<<<>>>

Her knives highlighted with the activated ability.

“I can’t let you stop me,” Mango said.

“You act like you have a choice." He shook his head and cracked his neck. “When will you youngins learn?”

“Yeah? Well, your smoke tricks won’t work up here. It’s just you, me, and the wind.”

“Smoke?” Laz laughed. “Who said I needed smoke? I just need these.” He held up his hands. "They’re more than enough.”

Mango charged with a right slash, followed by a quick left. Then she flipped the grip and tried a reverse stab, but Laz dodged everything with practiced ease. She lunged again, coming down with a reverse strike.

Laz sidestepped and swept her legs from under her.

THUD. Mango hit the ground hard.

Laz stepped back and shrugged. “Come on. That all you’ve got? You know I have combat up to 5. You should just give up."

Mango exhaled, got up and tried to focus. She pointed a knife at him and crept forward. She had to be more cautious. Laz saw what she was trying to do and charged.

She thrust her blade forward to stop his advance. He knocked it away onto the ground, grabbed her arm, and yanked her in. Then he kneed her hard in the ribs.

Mango gasped, coughing, but powered through the pain. With her free hand, she managed to slash at him.

Slice!

The blade cut his cheek, drawing blood.

Laz recoiled, touching the blood. His eyes narrowed. “Okay. You've impressed me.”

He came at her with a roundhouse kick, but she ducked and kicked at his legs. He caught himself in a handstand and used the momentum to kick her in the head from above.

Mango staggered, clutching her forehead.

Bam!

He punched her in the gut while she was dazed. She stumbled, wheezing, and tried to counter-kick, but he blocked and slammed his shoulder into her.

Desperate, she flung her other knife at him.

Laz raised his arm to block, but the blade sank through his bulletproof fabric and buried itself in his forearm.

“Damn it!” he cursed, stumbling back.

Mango didn't waste the sudden opportunity. She sprinted, snatching her other knife off the ground. She lunged at Laz with fury, slashing at him. Laz gritted his teeth, yanked the blade from his forearm, and blocked her strike with it.

She pressed forward, blade against blade, and sparks flew as they clashed.

"You really think you're the only one who knows a little knife play?" Laz said. "I'm a CIA agent! You're just some slut who's in way over her head!"

He kicked her in the leg, forcing her to stumble backward. He stepped in for a follow-up strike.

In that moment, her Knife Shade, the FOCUS AI, highlighted the path of his blade in Mango’s mind. The AI took over, and she just barely managed to block his thrust in time.

They exchanged blows rapidly, back and forth. Their blades clashed again and again. Each of them reading the other's movements, neither gave ground.

“30 seconds,” Noreen's voice crackled into Mango’s earpiece.

Mango chucked a knife at Laz again. He smirked, catching it midair. "You already tried that—"

Before he could finish, she lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. His grip loosened, and the knife fell. Mango snatched it and plunged it into his shoulder.

Laz screamed, wrenching it free and slashing across her stomach in retaliation. Mango gasped in pain. She stumbled back, blood soaking her suit.

He tried to roll over and stab her again, aiming for her head, but she narrowly dodged and kicked him hard, sending him sliding across the rocky ground, right toward the edge of the volcano ridge.

As he scrambled to rise, Mango got up and sprinted toward him.

“Block this!” she yelled, jumping and drop-kicking him square in the chest.

Laz let out a wheezy scream as he tumbled backward and vanished over the edge.

Mango collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach. The cut wasn't deep, but she was still bleeding. Then she heard the sound of Noreen's plane. The engines were off. It was gliding low and slow.

“Hurry!” Noreen called in her comms. “Get on! I can’t stay like this!”

“I don’t know how,” Mango shouted. “Just fly over the hole!”

“Copy that,” said Noreen. The plane dropped closer to the volcano’s rim.

Mango steadied herself and leapt over the crater’s mouth. In mid-air, she hit the button on her grapple belt.

Clink! The line anchored to the plane’s underside.

The moment it latched, she was whipped forward violently. The jolt snapped through her body, and pain rippled through her neck and onto her spine. But that didn't stop her from holding on. As she soared above the volcano’s opening, Mango let out a long-needed sigh of relief.

It was done.

It was finally over.

SHINK!

A sudden stabbing pain in her left foot made her shriek.

She looked down in horror.

Laz was hanging on from under her!

He’d used his own grapple watch and anchored it through her foot!

He hit the zipline trigger.

FWIP! Laz rocketed up toward her. It pulled on her, and his weight made her cry in pain.

“No!” Mango wailed. “No, no, no!”

She yanked out another knife and threw it. Laz caught the blade in mid-air.

He quickly reached her and in a flash, he used the blade to slice the cords anchoring her to the plane.

They both fell through the air.

Spinning. Screaming. Tumbling.

They hit the rocky slope together, crashing and rolling violently toward the edge. Mango groaned as she came to a stop, watching the silhouette of Noreen’s plane disappear into the sky. The wind had been knocked out of her. She couldn't even cry out.

Her only way out was gone.

“Michelle! What happened?!” Noreen’s voice cried through the earpiece. "Are you on? Come in, Michelle!"

Before Mango could gather the air to respond, Laz grabbed her wrist, ripped the earpiece out, and crushed it under his foot.

Mango shoved him away and tried to rise.

Laz swept her legs, and she hit the ground again. He stomped on her stomach. She cried out in pain.

“Well,” Laz said, panting. “I’ve got to give it to you. You’re entertaining.” He grinned, breathing heavily. “This job wouldn’t be nearly as fun if I didn’t have to work for it.”

Mango’s eyes blurred with tears. She stared up at the soaring plane. Her last hope. Her final chance. Gone. If Noreen came back now, she’d be shot down. There was no second chance.

She failed. This was checkmate.