Chapter 3: Flesh and Steel

"Aye, just follow me!" exclaimed Kimiko, her chest proudly sticking out, her voice muffled by the Takoyaki stuffed in her mouth, cheeks bulging with each bite. Sighing, Natasha followed Kimiko, her boots making clicking noises against the concrete floor.

They entered a dark and cold alley, homeless people huddled up together for warmth and comfort while avoiding eye contact as they passed. While Natasha remained alert, Kimiko still did not worry at all; she wasn’t the kind to fear strangers even when deep in enemy territory, her aura shining through even in this bleak darkness. Her stubborn optimism and curiosity would often get her into trouble in the past. If Natasha hadn't been around a year ago when Kimiko got lost in the Subterrane, her skull would most likely be adorning someone's mantle by now. She let out a soft chuckle, reminiscing about how she had dealt with the thugs who threatened them, their faces left in shock as Natasha used her strength to overpower them. While this was one of the less savory memories she shared with her, it was definitely a funny one - mostly because of the look on their faces as they watched Natasha bend a metal bar into a crudely shaped pipe.

Passing a long-abandoned bakery, covered in graffiti and stripped bare of both kitchen appliances and furniture, they caught distant voices. Additionally, the sounds of creaking metal and dull impacts reached them, suggesting that something heavy was being thrown about in the distance - Rajiv’s new workshop was near. Anticipation flickered within them as they quickened their pace, drawn toward the distant glow of light at the end of the dark and narrow alleyway. Suddenly, a thick and rough hand grabbed Natasha’s left shoulder from behind, her eyes darting to the gray, weirdly smooth calluses on its knuckles.

"The whorehouse ain’t here," a masculine voice with a thick accent spoke out, belonging to a tattooed, burly individual with black hair tied into a short ponytail. Natasha quickly shrugged his hand off, turning around to see that the man was clad in a loose, white tank top that revealed his tattoos and the numerous scars scattered across his body - at least the ones on his chest and arms were visible, anyway. Several piercings decorated his nose and ears with his jewelry being shiny silver, almost stainless steel. From the way he was dressed, it was safe to assume that he was the leader of some gang or some other small-time faction.

Immediately, her center of gravity shifted lower, her hands dropping out of her pockets as the dim light from the end of the alley cast a sharp shadow across her facial features.

"Did your mom drop you on the head or was her cunt too deep?" she'd respond with a little smirk, slightly raising one of her fuzzy eyebrows.

"The fuck you s-" the towering figure would start, cutting himself off to launch a sucker punch with his right, twisting his torso to add his body weight into the attack. His movements were as abrupt as his language, the air hissing with the force of his strike.

Natasha watched calmly, her eyes trailing the trajectory of his veiny arm as she skillfully sidestepped the punch, feeling a gust of wind as it narrowly missed her cheek.

With a loud crunch, his massive fist slammed into the bakery's wall behind her, causing the already scratched-up glass walls to completely shatter as tiny pebbles from higher up toppled down. While his sheer strength was incredible, Natasha noticed that his technique was nothing out of the ordinary, knowing that she could end it in a single punch. Quickly, she started pushing off on the ground with her rear foot, her muscles tightening akin to springs as she saw his pupils dilating in surprise.

"Hey!!" Kimiko's voice cut through the tension like a knife, her usually soft voice sounding urgent and commanding as she angrily stomped her light foot on the ground.

Startled, Natasha halted mid-motion, her muscles still coiled with adrenaline as she and her foe simultaneously turned their heads to her.

"Save your energy for Rajiv's bot!" Natasha blinked, momentarily taken aback by the interruption, though she quickly nodded in understanding while the man appeared dumbfounded, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Yeah, right," Natasha muttered, her voice tight with frustration and a tinge of sarcasm. "Thanks for the reminder."

Reluctantly, she began easing out of her stance as she turned to face Kimiko fully, the man just simply taking a step back, eyeing both of them.

"You think you can just fucking stop?" he'd bark, his voice dripping with contempt as he stepped closer, his posture aggressively slouched forward.

Though before Natasha could respond, Kimiko would angrily walk in between them, putting her hands on her hips as she looked up at the towering figure without a hint of fear, Natasha's heart racing as she took a step forward in case he wanted to lay a finger on her.

"Also, your dumb goon can fight the junk I will leave behind."

With a sharp exhale, he walked past them, his and Natasha's eyes locked for a moment.

"Well, that was fun. Wanna go?" Kimiko, undeterred, turned to Natasha with a playful grin.

"Yeah."

They slowly trailed behind him as he confidently walked towards the bright lights at the end of the valley, maintaining a safety distance of about five meters, wary of the possibility that the situation might escalate again. While Natasha herself wouldn't mind fighting him at this very moment, she also understood that Kimiko wanted her to be at her best for Rajiv's machine. Coming out on the other side of the alley, the trio found themselves in a slightly wider street, bustling with activity despite the late hour. Neon signs flickered above doorways, casting vibrant colors on the sidewalk. The distant sounds of laughter, music, and the occasional revving of an engine filled the air.

The man, still fuming from the encounter, took a turn into a narrow alley between two buildings, Natasha and Kimiko exchanging glances before following him. It all led to a small, extremely crowded courtyard where Rajiv's workshop was located. In its center, there was a makeshift arena surrounded by onlookers eagerly anticipating the impending confrontation, a sign at its corner spelling "No Rifters allowed!".

"So this is what she meant with higher risk involved," Natasha thought, her gaze shifting towards the injured and battered individuals resting on the ground. They were beaten to a pulp, leaning against the walls for support as they nursed their wounds - however, they looked content and were smiling, clearly enjoying themselves. Some were even cheering and yelling, egging the fighters on.

"What a madhouse..." Natasha whispered to Kimiko, her tone tinged with awe.

"I know right? Isn't it exciting?!" Kimiko exclaimed cheerfully, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Natasha could only shake her head in response, a faint smile forming on her lips as she noticed a familiar figure standing next to a bulky robot covered in plates of sanded scrap metal. The humanoid, tin-headed robot stood proudly in the ring, its metallic body polished to a shine and reflecting the neon lights coming from the buildings surrounding them. The machine had four arms, none of its huge, angular fists wearing a boxing glove or any kind of protection that could indicate a concern for its human opponent - after all, it was their choice to step into the ring. Its joints hissed loudly as it raised its arms into a fighting stance, waiting for Rajiv to activate it. While Rajiv himself was busy talking to the tattooed man - presumably the next challenger as he handed him two little coins - Natasha and Kimiko carefully made their way through the crowd until they reached the edge of the ring, where a young man was selling cold drinks from a rusty truck.

"Hey Natasha, do you want anything?" Kimiko asked, fishing three coins with an E engraved on each out of her pocket.

"Sure, I'll have whatever you're having," she responded, scanning the courtyard for any suspicious individuals while Kimiko placed her order. There was something about this place that bothered her - while she wasn't sure if it was because of the fights or the sketchy people watching them, her sixth sense was tingling.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, signaling the beginning of the match as the crowd started roaring and clapping with excitement. The humanoid robot lowered its body, crouching down as it cautiously circled its opponent, whose physique was much bulkier than Rajiv's creation. A smug grin appeared on his face as he cracked his knuckles, his massive fists clenched so tightly that Natasha could see his veins bulging. The tension was palpable as the crowd hushed, the only noise being the slow, mechanical steps of the humanoid machine. Everyone was expecting the tattooed man to make the first move - after all, he was built like a tank and had an overwhelming advantage in terms of raw power.

However, he waited for Rajiv's bot to charge him, quickly sidestepping it and throwing a left hook in response. To Natasha's surprise, the machine was faster than expected - as it smoothly ducked under the swing, it delivered three rapid jabs to the man's ribs. Surprisingly enough, the man seemed unfazed by the blows, not even backing down for a second as he pushed forward.

The crowd cheered and yelled, egging both of them on while Natasha curiously observed the fight. Judging from the speed and accuracy of Rajiv's bot, she was certain that she would be able to dismantle it in close combat; however, the main question remained - could she disable it without inflicting unnecessary damage to her surroundings? She knew that Rajiv spent hours building it, but she couldn't guarantee that she could hold back on the battlefield. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hey, here ya go!" Kimiko smiled, handing Natasha a bottle of water, which she gladly accepted.

Nodding her thanks, Natasha uncapped it and took a sip, her attention drawn to the fight once more. However, out of nowhere, the man landed a right hook into the machine's featureless face, sparks flying out as if struck by a sledgehammer. Not only that, but the robot fell over on its back, smoking coming out of the little slits on the sides of its head.

Turning his back to his opponent, the man faced the cheering horde, raising his fists in the air to amplify the crowd's fervor. Yet, the machine had already risen. Attempting to rush him from behind, its mechanical limbs churned with aggression. Swiftly pivoting at the last moment, the man swung his arm, delivering a powerful strike with his elbow. The impact reverberated, causing the machine to flip over again, sparks erupting from its joints as it flailed on the floor in desperation.

"Damn, he really is strong," Kimiko thought, impressed by the sheer force he put into his attacks. Then, suddenly, the machine stopped moving - its arms relaxed, falling limply to its sides. Even though it tried to stand up again, it collapsed after a few seconds, smoke rising out of the cracks in its armor.

"Aaaand we got a winner!" Rajiv exclaimed, clapping as he walked into the ring, his face beaming with excitement. He grabbed the man's hand and lifted it up, prompting the audience to erupt into wild cheers. Natasha's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she observed the scene unfold.

"The fuck are you waiting for?" the man demanded impatiently, his voice laced with a rough edge as he shook Rajiv's hand off. His muscular frame loomed over the shorter and thinner engineer, emphasizing the striking difference in size. Despite the imposing presence before him, Rajiv stood still, his expression resolute and determined.

"This'll buy me some real booze instead of this piss they sell here," he said arrogantly, his eyes trailing towards Natasha as she blocked the way.

"Get outta my way, shrimp."

However, she would not budge - her stare was cold and unyielding, her grip tightening around the water bottle as she watched the man walk closer, his face only inches away from hers.

"Didn't you hear me?" he snarled, his hot breath brushing against Natasha's skin as he glared into her eyes with malice. "Fuck off."

"I heard you just fine," she'd retort, looking up at him with a condescending smirk, "I just don't feel like it."

Her cat-like eyes gleamed with a provocative twinkle, inciting him to try something - anything that would give her an excuse to beat him into the ground.

"Huh? You wanna fucking die?!"

Her cat-like eyes gleamed with a provocative twinkle, inciting him to try something - anything that would give her an excuse to beat him into the ground.

"Ahh, I see how it is," he'd mutter, cracking his neck as he took a step back. Natasha could tell that he was not going to take it easy on her - after all, he was out for blood.

"Get in the fucking ring, cunt."

His words were barely audible amidst the crowd's noisy cheering and yelling. However, Natasha responded with a defiant smirk, leisurely walking towards the arena's edge and placing her water bottle next to Kimiko's feet as she began cheering for her, her soft voice drowned out by the deafening sounds. Taking off her jacket, Natasha nonchalantly tossed it beside her friend before stepping into the ring, rolling her shoulders as the battered bot was being carried out of it.