Smokescreen: A Collection of Vignettes

Chapter 20

Sakura had been having a really nice night out with Raiden and Kung Lao at Madam Bo's. It had been such a long time that she had hung out with her best friends. Raiden had been paying their bill when a mysterious group of men entered the teahouse. A man with short, gray hair and steely, gray eyes was clearly the leader. A mask covered the lower part of his face. Looking him over, he was clearly the leader of the group. His uniform was gray, and he had an air of authority about him. He walked on by the trio, giving Sakura an up-close look of him.

Sweet Elder Gods he was fucking built, too. Her face flushed briefly.

"Madam Bo," the man in gray said. "The Lin Kuei await your answer."

"I have been busy, Smoke."

If the situation hadn't been so tense, Sakura would have laughed at the way she just walked away. She had always loved Madam Bo. She was motherly and badass all at once. She had taught Raiden, Kung Lao and herself all forms of fighting since they were children. She had made sure they had practiced their lessons every day and she would treat them with her good food. The young woman really respected her.

"I don't like the look of this."

"What do we do?" Raiden whispers.

"Stay ready." Kung Lao responds.

The conversation took a turn when Smoke had threatened to wreck the place. Of course, Madam Bo, being Madam Bo, refused. The man shook his head in mock sadness and signaled to his men to go ahead and destroy the place. Mayhem ensued. The old woman punched the intruder the face and a brief skirmish happened before the man smacked her around and threw her over the railing of the teahouse and down to the lower floor.

"Madam Bo!"

The trio made an attempt to assist the woman before they were engulfed in smoke. Kung Lao and Raiden were kicked off in one direction while Sakura had been flung off in another direction. Picking herself up and coughing, she could hear Smoke taunting the three of them. She would have engaged the man in gray if Kung Lao hadn't challenged him first. That was fine. She needed to get to her mentor.