“Hmm…?” Vicky studied Hao's features, increasing her focus as she tried to discern his thoughts. As an experienced Blade Engineer and leader of her gang, she had a keen understanding of people and their intentions. She could tell that Hao was itching to reclaim Judgment Day, so she decided to use this to her advantage.
"I know more about this sword than you. And I think the information that I have would be of great benefit to you," she said, attempting to sound convincing while withholding some information.
Hao was no fool; he knew that information like that wouldn't come cheap. "What's the catch, lady?"
"Please, call me Vicky," she responded. Leaving her wheelchair behind, she moved across the room on her sword-like legs, the gang members watched in awe. The unique movement and balance she displayed were intriguing. She approached a particular safe where she kept other valuable items hidden within and unlocked it.
While Vicky opened the safe and placed Judgment Day inside, Hao used his Vibe Sense to scan her every move, as well as the items in and around the safe. He took mental notes of the various swords, trinkets, and documents that filled the space, hoping that the information might prove useful later on.
Vicky locked the safe then turned her attention back to Hao. "I'll give this sword back to you, along with the information I've discovered about it, but only if you agree to join my crew."
"You must be out of your mind," Hao retorted, blatantly refusing the offer. "No way in hell, lady. I'm not joining you bunch of degenerates. I can do bad all by myself."
Scar's face contorted with anger. “I told you to watch that mouth of yours.” he struck Hao across the face. Even he seemed surprised by the force of his own blow. Next, he turned to Vicky and asked, "You want this clown to join our crew, boss?"
"Yes," Vicky replied. On her way back to her wheelchair, her sword-like legs were moving with grace and precision. Once seated, she locked her gaze on Hao. "My underling told me you are quite skilled with that Blade Edge of yours." She gestured toward Vibe Edge which Scar still had tucked in his waist. "Do a job for me, and the X-Class weapon and that sword is all yours."
Hao remained impassive before he cracked a smirk and revealed, "I don't need your permission lady. I can just take it... right now!" In an impressive display of skill, Hao snatched Vibe Edge from Scar's waist and used it to teleport to the safe. He slashed open a portal and shoved his hand inside, but what he pulled out was a pile of junk swords. The shock on his face was evident.
"Looking for this?" Vicky's voice caught his attention. Without turning around, Hao's Vibe Sense recognized the familiar blue beat tones of Judgment Day phasing in and out in her hand.
"How?" Hao's puzzled expression betrayed his confusion. Inwardly, he couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for Vicky's cunning. ‘That big bitch and her cunningness is getting on my nerves,’ he thought, knowing that he would have to tread carefully if he hoped to outsmart her and reclaim his X-Class sword. But he just couldn’t restrict his anger from surging as he scanned the sword.
"Give it back!" he shouted. With a burst of energy, he leapt towards Vicky while preparing to unsheathe Vibe Edge. The air rippled around him, the power of his movements appeared to be bending the very fabric of reality.
“I won’t allow you to pass!” Scar moved to intervene, but Vicky raised a hand to stop him.
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"Let him come," she said calmly with her eyes fixed on the charging Hao. She appeared unfazed by the imminent clash, her expression was simply unreadable.
Though confined to a wheelchair, Vicky was far from helpless. Years of training and experience had honed her combat skills to near perfection, moreover, her body had been augmented with an array of powerful, versatile weapons.
“Hand it over!” While Hao's sword descended toward her, she raised her robotic right arm, which transformed with a series of mechanical clicks and whirrs. A thick, metallic shield unfolded and extended from her forearm, effortlessly blocking Hao's strike.
Clang!
The force of the impact echoed throughout the warehouse, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Sparks flew as Hao's blade clashed against the metallic shield, illuminating the room with a violent light. The two combatants stared each other down, Hao more so determined to emerge victorious.
“You have to come better than that kid.” Said Vicky confidently.
The scuffle between them was a smashing display of raw power. Hao's swordplay was a deadly dance that seemed almost choreographed. Vicky, however, was no less impressive. Her sword-like legs moved with precision and grace to match his, moreover, her wheelchair was practically an extension of her body as she deftly parried and countered Hao's attacks. She easily anticipated his every move, blocking and evading with an almost supernatural intuition.
“Why can’t I cut this big bitch up already?” He began to display his frustration through his weakening swordsmanship.
“So you love to dance eh? I’ll give you some music to dance to.” With a series of mechanical whirrs, Vicky's left hand transformed into a Gatling gun. The fingers retracted and merged, while the palm opened up to reveal a rotating barrel. The transformation was swift and seamless, an example of the engineering prowess that had gone into creating her unique gauntlets.
“Get ready to dance some more for me!” Vicky’s Gatling gun began spewing a hailstorm of projectiles that tore through the air.
“Huh!” Hao moved quickly to avoid impalement, his body was twisting and spinning as he dodged the onslaught.
“Everybody get back.” Scar and the other gang members scrambled to get out of the line of fire.
Vicky in her wheelchair continued to fire rapid bullets until her opponent found his way behind her via teleporting. She spun around and parried Hao's slashes using her sword feet. Their weapons clashed with a resounding clang.
Vicky's expression remained stoic as she decided it was time to end the battle. Rising from her wheelchair, she activated a hydraulic system that lifted her sword legs, extending them to their full length. As she towered over Hao like a hulking tyrant, her imposing figure released a long, menacing aura that seemed to engulf the young fighter.
“She’s so freaking huge. Since when did the gods start making women this big?” Seeing Vicky's transformation made Hao's heart pound in his chest, yet he refused to back down. He charged at her, utilizing his Shadowstep Slash to teleport around her, attempting to strike from various angles.
Vicky, however, didn’t make any wild movements, only simple and easy-to-execute strikes. With a swiftness similar to a bee, she used one of her sword-legs to sweep Hao's feet out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground. He was lucky enough to block the attack with his scabbard, otherwise, he would have become a cripple. Before he could regain his footing, she brought her other sword-leg down, pinning him to the floor with the flat side of the blade pressed against his throat.
Hao struggled, his Vibe Edge still gripped tightly in his hand, but the weight of Vicky's leg and the razor-sharp edge mere inches from his jugular left him immobile. As he stared up at her fearfully, he realized that he had been outmatched.
Vicky's eyes bore into Hao's soul as she held him pinned. "Do you yield?" she asked with a cold and unwavering tone.
With his breathing laboured and his body aching, Hao finally nodded, the fight draining from his body as he conceded defeat. “I give up.”
Vicky slowly retracted her sword-leg, allowing Hao to sit up and catch his breath properly, but the memory of her overwhelming strength and skill would not soon fade from his mind.
Despite his best efforts, he was ultimately defeated. Zooming in on Vicky as she returned to her wheelchair, he inquired "With battle prowess such as yours, what do you need me for?"
Vicky regarded him thoughtfully. "I need your help because of your unique sight and teleportation skills," she explained. "With them, we might be able to pull off a successful heist."
Intrigued by what he heard, Hao raised an eyebrow. "What heist?"
Vicky's lips curled into a mysterious smile, leaving Hao and the others in suspense, eager to discover what she had in store.