The rain continue pouring heavily, as thunder rumbled loudly. Linda and Xin Ling charged toward each other. None of them spoke, they just kept exchange fists in fury. Each movement from the both of them was sharp and desperate. Linda fought bravely, but the girl in black, she was something else. She was swift, calculative, and impossibly precise. She fought like she was just sparing but yet her moves were graceful and smooth. Linda felt it in every blocked strike.
This girl… she's skilled.
The fight got to the part where Linda barely had time to think. In the middle of her bafflement, Xin Ling took the chance and slammed into her ribs. The pain was sharp, cutting through the cold. Linda stumbled back ward, boots sliding across the wet pavement before crashing down with a grunt that echoed off the alley walls.
"Damn… you're good, I have to admit that." she breathed, winded but refusing to give in.
She pushed herself up again, trembling, soaked to the bone. A smirk appeared on her lip, as she tried to remain composed. The rain fell harder, mixing with the blood on her lips. Both of them were drenched, their hair plastered to their faces and thier breaths heavy in the storm.
But Xin Ling didn't falter. Every strike Linda threw was countered with unnerving ease. The more Linda fought, the slower she became. Her muscles screamed, her lungs burned, but she kept swinging, stubborn and relentless. She was getting weaker but she refused to back down.
Until, Xin Ling got tired of sparing and decided to end the fight.
"Gosh, I'm getting bored. Let's finish this, shall we?" She said mockingly and threw her fist passing under Linda arm landing a finishing punch that sent her crashing to the ground again, this time harder. The air left her lungs as pain exploded through her body while blood filled her mouth.
Before she could move, Xin Ling was already on her. She landed another punch, with a vicious force.
"Ugh!" Linda gasped, curling from the pain, but Xin Ling didn't stop. She poured all her anger on Linda who could only scream and protect her most sensitive part__her stomach. She tried to shield herself, but her body was too slow. The blows tore through her defenses, each one sharper than the last until one final strike landed with a sickening thud. Blood spilled from her lips and her gaze blurred.
Xin Ling finally stopped. She took a step back, her chest rising and falling heavily. Then, without a word, she turned toward the wall and started punching it hard. She repeated it again and again, like she was exorcising something she couldn't say out loud. Her knuckles hurt, but she didn't stop until her breathing steadied.
Only then did she stop and glanced at Linda. She smirked and turned to leave.
But Linda, broken and breathless, forced herself to speak. "What… what did I ever do to you? Who sent you?"
Xin Ling halted. She could hear Linda's voice but she didn't turn at first. When she finally did, her eyes glinted under the mask. "That's your concern right now?" she said, her tone dry and mocking. "I just gave you a chance to run. Use it, genius."
Linda coughed, dragging herself halfway upright. "So why let me go? Isn't this the part where you finish the job? What if I report you?"
Xin Ling's smirk was hidden beneath her mask, but Linda could hear it in her voice. "Report me? To who? There isn't a cop alive that can catch me. I'm a shadow, sweetheart."
Xin Ling stepped closer, the rain gathering around her boots.
"For the record," she said quietly, "I barely touched you. A few kicks and you're already bleeding. You've got potential, but right now… you're weak. Keep training, dear."
The words struck harder than any of her punches. Linda glared through the rain, wiping the blood from her lips. Her whole body ached, but her pride burned hotter than the pain. That tone, the look of someone who saw her as less, set something off inside her.
She clenched her fists and, trembling, pushing herself up from the ground. Every muscle protested, but she forced herself to stand.
"Then I will," she said, her voice low but firm. "I'll train harder and I'll get stronger. And when that day comes… I'll find you again."
Xin Ling tilted her head slightly, studying her like one might study a stubborn flame.
"And next time," Linda continued, meeting her gaze, "I'll be the one standing. I'll make sure you answer for this, one way or another."
Xin Ling smirked staring intensively at Linda. There was a brief silence between them. And then Xin Ling's mouth curved into the faintest smile.
"We'll see, And by the way, my name is Xin Ling." she said softly. With that, she turned and walked away, her figure fading into the falling rain.
Linda stood alone, trembling in cold and pain. Her hand pressed against her stomach and her body screaming from pain. The rain had softened to a drizzle, washing away the blood but not the sting of pains.
"Who is she?" She murmured "Why did she attack me… and why did she let me live?" She thought.
She picked up her umbrella, limped back toward the main road, and flagged down a taxi. The driver took one look at her battered face with pity. Linda gave him her address. He nodded, started the car, and drove off.
By the time she reached home, Sara and baby Jack were already asleep.
Linda dropped her shoes at the door, left the umbrella leaning by the wall, and headed straight to the bathroom.
She turned off the tap and slowly undressed, her movements stiff from the pain. When she lowered herself into the warm water, a sharp hiss escaped her lips. The heat bit into her bruises, stinging every fresh mark on her skin. For a moment, she almost wanted to climb out. But then… the warmth began to spread, seeping into her muscles, dulling the ache. She let out a shaky sigh and leaned back, her eyes closing. Minutes pass, but she remained in the tub. After a long while of soaking, she wrapped herself in a soft robe and made her way to the kitchen.
Few minutes later, the scent of tea filled the air as she lifted the cup, letting its warmth steady her trembling hands. Each sip felt like it was bringing her back to herself, piece by piece.
Later, she lay on her bed, the room dim and quiet. Her body was heavy, but her mind wouldn't stop as the fight replayed in her head, every hit, every word.
Who was that girl? Why did she attack me?
Who have i wronged? She was so.... good. If he mission was to kill me, why did she let me go?
She stared at the ceiling for a long time, the questions circling like shadows in her thoughts. Then, slowly, exhaustion pulled her under, and she drifted into sleep.