Caught Between A Dojo and a Hard Place

Will Yoko conquer her past, or will the past conquer her?

By Mongoose750 (Mongoose750@yahoo.com)

Fifteen years ago

The Serenity Aikido Academy was said to be one of the best martial arts studios in town, and in the region. Gideon Williamson, a long-time veteran of the art of aikido, had produced a number of black belts, and was well-respected among other martial art teachers and in the community. Students would come from all over for the privilege to be taught by him, and also listen to his message of nonviolence. The studio itself, sat on the edge of the inner city, an oasis on the edge of a raging sea.

And that=s where the problem lay.

The inner city was divided in a turf war between two street gangs, the Demons and the Scorpions. The dojo was in the area Aowned@ by the Scorpions. They were notorious for a number of crimes, and practically invulnerable from an overworked and understaffed police department. Aside from the usual drug trafficking and armed robbery, one of the things that kept the gang well-funded was protection money. That is for a fee paid weekly or monthly, your store or business would be free from harm; harm from them trashing the place.

Being on the edge of Downtown, the safest part of the inner city, the dojo was safe from interference. Then one day, a Scorpion asked the musical question, AHey, what about them? They=re not giving us money.@ And from there, three visits were made to Serenity. The first visit, Gideon politely refused. The second visit, the Scorpions pressed their case a little more firmly, but again, Gideon refused. After two refusals and receiving discourses on the benefits of living a virtuous, peaceful life, the Scorpions decided it was time for give Sensei Gideon a demonstration. The fact that it was a martial art studio didn=t faze the gang. Several of the gang members were schooled in street kickboxing, and all the dojo=s students weren=t black belts. Hurting a few of the good teachers= students would be essential to teaching Sensei Williamson a lesson, and if a few got seriously injured or worse, well, he should=ve heeded their suggestion during the first two visits and paid up.

One day, Gideon was teaching his class when suddenly a small army of Scorpions attacked. Confronted with an actual confrontation, some of the students froze, forgetting what they learned, with a few running and hiding. The rest, however, faced the enemy straight on. A brief period of time, and many throws later, the Scorpions made a hasty retreat, gathering their injured comrades and hobbling out the door. A few vowed revenge, but another attack was never made on the studio.

Gideon handled himself very well, not breathing hard or breaking a sweat. The warm up exercises with the white belts gave him more of a workout. He immediately checked on the injured (which were mainly white belts and visitors), satisfied that no one was hurt seriously. As the injured were receiving aid, he instructed a few of his students to pick up the debris of baseball bats, knives, and even a gun or two lying about the mats. And then he made his way toward a corner of the dojo where a small crowd stood. What he saw next shocked him.

Five of the Scorpions lay closely scattered on the dojo floor, dead. The bodies were scattered in front of a young woman, around twenty, of Japanese-American descent, sitting on her knees, dressed in the traditional aikido white blouse and black skirt-like pants. She stood about 5'4", with a medium build. Her long brunette hair was placed in two ponytails on both sides of her head. She looked up at her teacher with an expression that was a mixture between apologetic and searching for approval.

AI fought them off the best I could, teacher,@ she said.

AYoko, what have you done?@ Gideon gasped.

The police came, and the dojo received their fifteen minutes of fame and more because of how they fought off the street gang. The reception was mixed concerning Yoko, however. The police clearly considered it self-defense, and the general public considered her a hero, yet at the dojo, she wasn=t considered that favorably. Gideon was unsure what to do with Yoko, or how to treat her; for she became a virtual contradiction to his nonviolent teachings. The students were not sure what to do either. Even though she saved their lives, they were unsure how to continue with a fellow student who had shed blood. The result was the shunning of the brown belted woman. Finally, Yoko left to receive her teaching at another dojo.

That task was harder than it seemed. Many of the other aikido studios in the city were either disciples of Gideon or held tightly to his philosophy, and were hesitant to teach her. Finally, Yoko had to attend classes with an eccentric teacher forty minutes outside of town. The teacher actually applauded what Yoko had done, and considered her of great promise in the art of aikido.

After she received her black belt, Yoko also finished her associates= degree, and started to pursue her goal of working as a secretary at whatever business would take her. But fate seemed to have other plans for her. Because of what she=d done, she was sought out to perform a number of tasks, none of them having anything to do with being a secretary. The requests she received varied from the legal, like being a bodyguard, to the not too legal, like providing protection, to the definitely not legal, like an assassin. Whatever they were, Yoko refused them all. She just wanted to be a simple secretary, no more, no less.

Then one day, a middle-aged woman approached her. She had short blond hair, stood 5'6", and had a figure that was a little heftier than Yoko=s own frame. She approached Yoko on the street with a look of urgency on her face.

AAh, Yoko, I=ve finally found you!@ She said.

AI=m sorry, did you say you were looking for me?@ Yoko asked.

AYes; I=ve been mugged five times, I=ve had two abusive relationships, and I need someone to teach me how to fight back.@

ABut Ma=am-@

AEva.@

ABut Eva, there are several martial art schools around that can teach you basic self-defense moves. Besides, I would be the last one to-@

AYeah, and a lot of them teach you this >shout and run= crap,@ Eva interrupted. ABut what if you=re attacked in your own home and you have no place to run? And I=m well aware of what you did, but you were in your school, which is almost like home, wasn=t it? I need someone who can teach me to fight, without telling me to shout and run.@

AEva, I wouldn=t know where to begin. I don=t have anywhere to teach you,@ Yoko objected.

AI don=t care where, my place, your place, in the park, any place is fine with me. And I can pay you too. I=m a successful businesswoman, I have my own company, and it=s doing very well.@

Eva suddenly pulled out her checkbook and quickly scribbled down an amount, signed it, and slapped the check into Yoko=s hand. Yoko lifted up the check, her eyebrows rasing when she saw the amount.

AThat=s for the first week in advance. I=ll pay the same amount every week.@

ABut Eva . . .@ Eva reached out and closed Yoko=s hand around the check, looking into her eyes.

ATeach me.@

So Yoko started giving Eva private lessons. She knew traditionally the way aikido was taught, it took a few years before it could become usable for self-defense. However she realized the last part of her aikido training from the incident at her old dojo was far from traditional. She modified what she was taught, making it more of a fast track curriculum. Her concern of her program=s success was answered when Eva came for her regular lesson.

ASomeone mugged me last night,@ Eva said.

AOh no! Are you all right?@ Eva responded.

AWell I=m okay, but the jerk got a broken arm. I did that wrist lock you showed me, that sankyo move. I had him down on his knees. When he started calling me names and tried to stab me with his other arm, I suddenly twisted, and snap! He was crying in the alley by the time the police came. It was great!@

Yoko breathed a sigh of relief. AGreat.@

Eva was the first of many who came to Yoko for lessons. Besides word of mouth from Eva, a number of people, mainly women, sought her out to be taught how to defend themselves. Yoko taught aikido, but she decided to teach a more no nonsense street version, that would deliver serious hurt to the attacker if necessary. When some dojos, aikido dojos in general, caught wind of this, they objected when they realized this was taught by the woman who killed five of her assailants. But by that time, Yoko=s school was too popular to stop. And it wasn=t just average women who came under Yoko=s tutelage; athletes in sports such as sumo and wrestling would come to learn her techniques. Aside from the occasional challenge from people who didn=t think she was as formidable as her reputation indicated, her life was once again peaceful.

As for the Scorpions, it was the beginning of the end. After experiencing a sudden drop in their active roster, the gang suddenly found themselves an endangered species. They were now targets for the rival gang and the police, who found it a pleasure to capture some of the remaining members now that they were Abite-sized.@ Along with that, the shame of being beaten by some Akung fu dudes,@ not to mention one woman who killed five of them, made the gang inwardly collapse. The resulting vacuum attracted the Demons, but being spread too thin was eventually the death of them too.

And Yoko=s school continued to prosper, forever taking her away from the path of being a humble secretary. She found she liked teaching, and her students liked her casual rapport. Overall, life was good.

Fifteen years later

Dressed in her red one-piece tank top bathing suit, Yoko prepared herself for a late morning swim. The large combination house and dojo were simply furnished, but her large heated indoor swimming pool was her one big indulgence. Yoko always liked the water, and though it was a cool autumn day, she would be able to enjoy a nice summer-like swim before she started her day. After doing a few stretches, she prepared to tuck her two ponytails under her swimming cap when the doorbell rang.

Taking her cap off, she walked to the front door in the living room. It was hours before her first class began, and she wasn=t expecting any visitors this early. Opening the door, she was surprised to see five men in black suits awaiting her. They all appeared to be around six feet or an inch or two above or below, and had varying builds from skinny to a medium build hinging on stocky. To complete the official look, they all wore black sunglasses. A man who appeared to be the group=s spokesman, with short blond hair, stood six feet exactly, with a slim build, stepped forward.

AYoko Nagano, would you come with us please?@ He asked.

ASure, let me grab some pants first,@ Yoko replied.

She went to a nearby closet and pulled out a matching pair of black leggings and a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt. She pulled the leggings on, threw on the sweatshirt, and said, AOkay, I=m ready.@

ADon=t you need to get some shoes?@ One of the men asked.

ANo, I=m fine; let=s go.@

The ride to the rear of an office building was in silence. Yoko didn=t say a word until they were escorting her to a back room.

AOkay, now who is it that I=ll be facing - hey!@ She exclaimed as a pair of plastic handcuffs were snapped around her wrists.

They brought her into a room with one heavy wooden table, several chairs, and a televison in a corner. She saw in another corner a black man similarly bound, except he was gagged with a white handkerchief, and sported a bruise on his left cheek. From the way he held himself, he apparently was recently hit in the stomach too. He had a slim build, and stood only a couple of inches taller than Yoko, so he was easily dwarfed by his abductors.

AWhere=s my challenger?@ Yoko demanded. AWhat=s with these cuffs?@

The blond-haired man tossed the handcuff key in his hand as he sat on the other side of the room at the table with a cocky grin on his face. AThere=s no challenge today, unless you want to make it one,@ he said. AWe have been told that you do receive challenges from time to time, and you make a little bit of money with each one; quite a bit, I=ve been told.@

Yoko looked at him. AWhat?@

AYou know what I mean; your spoils from battle.@

Yoko took a breath before she spoke. AI don=t know where you received your information, but there are no >spoils= from battle. The challenges I received were not for money; they were from people who want to defeat me in battle for some dumb reason. In other words, it was for free. As far as any >fortune= I may have, I keep my money in the bank like everyone else. Now what=s the deal with that guy?@ She motioned her head toward the bound man.

AOh, he=s our new accountant.@ The rest of the men laughed. AWe were just asking him to balance our checkbooks. Now regarding what you said about you receiving money for your challenges, let=s just say I don=t believe you.@

AWhat=s your name?@

ADave.@

AWell Dave, it is true; I don=t know what I need to do to convince you.@

AWell let me tell you what I can do. Right now, it=s about thirty-two or thirty-three degrees outside. What me and the boys are going to do is take you out and push you around a little bit. When that doesn=t work, I=ll take a bucket of water to cool you off. Of course you=ll be pretty cool already, especially with the cuts and bruises. That should jog your memory. I read that in a book once, and I=ve always wanted to try that out.@

Yoko nodded her head. AI see,@ she said.

ASo let me ask one more time; where=s the money?@

AAnd let me tell you one more time; there is no money.@

Dave motioned to a stocky blond man. AClyde, why don=t you escort our guest outside so the cold air can jog her memory.@

ASure; come along little girl,@ Clyde said as he started to pull Yoko up from her chair.

To reach Yoko, Clyde had to bend down to take her arms. Yoko suddenly grabbed his arms and gave a sudden jerk. A victim of the law of inertia, Clyde sped downwards until his forehead bounced off the table=s hard surface. As he stumbled and fell, Yoko stood up. The next man attempted to grab her wrists; which, unfortunately, is one of the first lessons they teach you in aikido 101, defense against grabs. Yoko grabbed one of his wrists, performing one of the basic wrist locks to turn into a throw. However, the throw normally works if the victim goes with the momentum. This man didn=t, and he sank to the ground in pain, cradling his broken arm. The next two men approached quickly to overwhelm her. The man who arrived first, a street kickboxer, fired a snap kick to Yoko=s chest. Yoko sidestepped, avoiding the kick, and caught his foot as well as she could with her wrists cuffed together, then quickly slammed both forearms into his chest. His momentum plus the force of her blows sent him sailing over the table into the wall. He screamed from an injury resulting from colliding with said wall, but he couldn=t move much aside from that. The man who followed him threw a straight punch which Yoko deflected, resulting in turning him around trapped by a wicked hold Yoko had on his neck, bending him backwards. It looked like a tossup which would break first, his back or his neck.

Dave stood and stared. The whole attack took about a minute, if that. Yoko stared back to him, a neutral expression that did not hide the seriousness of what she said next.

AIf you know anything about my reputation, then you know I would not hesitate to break this man=s neck like a twig, unless you take the keys to the cuffs out of your pocket, and slide them down the table,@ Yoko said.

The man trapped in Yoko=s neck lock gurgled something that obviously was a plea to Dave to honor her request. Dave pulled the keys out of his jacket pocket and slid them down the table as he was told. Yoko shot her hands up, letting her victim fall to the floor, gasping for air. She then took the keys and unlocked her own cuffs, then unlocked the cuffs of the man in the corner. She helped him up, and guided him to the door.

AWh-where are you going?@ Dave asked dumbly.

Pushing open the door, Yoko turned and said, ATo see your boss. I=m sure he=ll want to know what happened. In the meantime, I think your buddies are in need of immediate medical attention. You may want to do that first before you ponder your immediate future.@

As they left the building and headed for the main office, Yoko asked, AAre you all right?@

AYeah, I=m okay; I just have a little bruise, that=s all,@ he said, then looked down at Yoko=s bare feet as they were walking. AIt=s a little cold out here, don=t you think?@

AYeah, you=re right,@ Yoko replied, and placed the hood of her sweatshirt over her head. Not noticing the man=s puzzled look, she led them to the main office building.

ASo we=re going to see their boss?@

AYeah. I applaud his rehab program, but his guys went a little too far today.@

AYou know him?@

AYes, I taught his wife.@

The lobby to the office was a nice, ornate affair with an attractive black receptionist sitting behind a clear black acrylic desk. She smiled when she saw Yoko, and waved her on by. The door to the main office was halfway open, and Yoko and the other man walked in. Seated behind a larger acrylic desk was a distinguished gentleman around fifty, with a small touch of gray in his hair. Other than that, his facial features and slim build still had some touches of youth. He saw Yoko, smiled, and put down his pen.

AYoko! This is a surprise. How are we today?@ He said.

AI=m fine, Brad,@ Yoko replied, Abut I=m afraid James and I had a problem with some of your guys today.@

Upon hearing his name, James gave Yoko a curious look. How did she know his name?

Brad bowed his head and shook it, moaning. AWhat did they do this time?@

Yoko relayed the story, leaving out the blow-by-blow description at the end that Brad guessed anyway.

AHow bad did you hurt them?@ He asked.

AAll except one will need medical care,@ Yoko grinned sheepishly. ASorry about that.@

ASorry? If someone was going to torture me and pour cold water on my wounds, I=d fight too. This one who=s unhurt, his name wouldn=t be Dave, would it?@

AYes.@

AAfter he takes his friends to the hospital, I=ll have a serious talk with Dave. This isn=t the first boneheaded stunt he=s done. He=s the ringleader; they all want to follow him, don=t ask me why. James, I am very sorry for any trauma you=ve been put through this morning. If you want to press charges or sue, I=ll understand. But I think we can come to some sort of understanding.@

James stood and thought for a moment, then he said, ANo charges, I=ll be fine.@

AThank you. Now you run an accounting service. It=s almost brand new, correct?@

AYes sir.@

AHow is it doing?@

ANot bad, there are good days and bad days like every business, but not bad.@

AGood. On one of our recent projects, the books were messed up so bad, we can=t tell if we made a profit or not. Would you like to straighten them out?@

For the first time that morning, James smiled. AYes, I would.@

AI thought you might. Tomorrow morning, just come here - scratch that - I=ll have someone bring our records to your office. You=ve been inconvenienced enough.@

AThank you.@

AAnd Yoko, I=m truly sorry. I didn=t know where they got that idea.@

AProbably just another wild rumor about me. I=ve gotten quite used to them by now,@ Yoko said.

AIs there anything I can do?@

ANo, I just need a ride to take James and I back to my place.@

AI think I need to go to emergency to be checked out,@ James objected.

AFor what you received, I can take care of your wounds as well as those guys can. Besides, if you go, you=ll run into those guys who nabbed you again, and I don=t think you want that, anymore than they want to run into me.@

AYou=ll be in good hands,@ Brad added.

AAfter I=m finished, I=ll drive you back to work. You may want to call your receptionist and explain what happened.@

AOh!@ James scrambled for his cell phone. AAll right, I=ll go, but I can=t stay too long.@

ANot unless you want to be a practice dummy for my first class.@ Turning to Brad, who just called for a driver, she said, AHow=s June?@

ALovely as always. She=ll resume classes with you next month.@

ATell her we miss her.@

*****

Yoko and James sat in the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car, driven by one of Brad=s personal drivers. The ride was quiet, until James turned to Yoko and asked her, ASo were you really going to break that man=s neck?@

Yoko smirked. AWell he wasn=t positioned right for a neck break, and with my hands all tied up, it was difficult to secure an effective grip on him,@ she said. AAt worst, he would=ve gagged to death rather slowly. But Dave didn=t know that, so it served its purpose.@

ABefore I forget, let me thank you for saving me. How did you do what you did with your hands tied up?@

ASometimes with my black belt class, we get a little bored. So we try new and different things to keep our skills fresh. I heard of an aikido master who was for a time without the use of one of his arms, yet he advanced in rank. One day I got several rolls of masking and duct tape, and taped my students= arms to their side, either left or right, and had one of my arms taped as well. Then we had class as normal. Let me tell you, we floundered around like beginning white belts that night. But we had fun.@

AWhat practical purpose did that serve?@

AWhat happens if you=re attacked while one of your arms is carrying groceries, or if one of your arms is in a sling? The bad guys aren=t going to wait for you to have a level playing field to defend yourself against them. And you=re welcome.@

AAnd how do you know me?@

AI go to your church.@

AYou do? I never saw you there.@

AI sit in the back rows. That way, young mothers won=t carry off their children and flee in terror.@

James gave her a confused look. AHuh?@

AI=m sorry, you=re relatively new in town, so you haven=t heard half the rumors about me yet. Some of them are even funny. Me enlisting children to create an army is not. But I stopped trying to squash them a long time ago; I just let them run their course. If they want to know the truth, they can talk to me. Now how and why did they grab you?@

AI was walking to work as usual, when this van pulled up in front of me. One of the men, I think the one whose arm you broke, asked me if I could be their accountant. I told them they need to make an appointment, and next thing I know, two men jumped out and threw me in the van. They asked me that question again, and when I said no, they hit me a couple of times. Then they told me to stay right there, they=ll be right back. Shortly they came back with you, you did your thing, and here we are.@

AI see. Is your car in the shop?@

ANo, I always walk to work.@

AReally? Do you drive?@

AYes I do. Some time ago, I discovered I was starting to grow a bulge in my belly, and my schedule was too crazy to attend a gym, so I started walking to work. I only live fifteen minutes away from my office, so it=s not long. It did the trick; I lost weight and got back in shape too. I hate to quit, but I guess I might have to.@ James glanced out the window at the countryside.

ADon=t worry; after Brad gets through with them, they won=t even think of bothering you again. Every year, he hires a few people who are down on their luck, or needs a second chance. Nine times out of ten, it works. A lot of people sign up for this program which lasts a year. They=re also well aware that someone would be more than happy to take their place if they mess up. Also, Brad=s wife is in my advanced black belt class, so he might feed them to her to put them in line,@ Yoko explained.

The driver pulled up at Yoko=s house, and turned behind to view his passengers. AHere you are, Miss. Yoko. James, where can I take you?@ He asked.

AIt=s all right, John; I=ll be taking James back. Thank you very much for the ride,@ Yoko said.

AYou=re welcome, ma=am.@

The driver opened the door, letting Yoko out first. As James followed, he thanked the driver as he saw her standing barefoot on the cold concrete of her driveway.

AYou sure you=re not cold?@ James asked.

ANo, I=m fine, the car was good and warm. It=s even warmer in the house. Come on,@ Yoko replied.

AWow, it looks like you really like trucks,@ he said, seeing two pickup trucks, one small brown one, and a red Sports-Trac.

AI only have one. Oh, that=s right, I was expecting company later this morning!@ Her pace quickened as she reached the door. James followed behind, but a little hesitantly. After the events so far that morning, there might be a squad of ninjas hiding behind the door for all he knew.

They found the one they sought by the swimming pool, ready to dive in. She was a 5'6" brunette with her hair in a bun, wearing a brown bikini. That same bikini could=ve doubled for a posing suit, considering the way it shown off her bronzed, muscular form. She broke into a sheepish grin when she saw them.

AHi Yoko! I didn=t see anyone here, but you said to make myself at home, and I saw this warm swimming pool. I grabbed one of my spare posing suits-@

AYou=re fine, Autumn,@ Yoko interrupted. AI had kind of a crazy morning, so I=m playing catchup here. This is James, the local accountant.@

AHello,@ James greeted meekly.

AHi!@ Autumn returned in kind.

ASit here,@ Yoko said, directing James to a nearby chair. AI=ll be right back, you two.@

Autumn was still perched by the pool, and James was about to ask how she was when Yoko reappeared with a first aid kit.

James started to rise. AYoko, really, I=ll be fine,@ he said.

ASit down,@ Yoko replied, watching him sternly. From what he saw earlier, James knew better than to oppose her. He sat quickly, while Yoko opened her first aid box. ANow Autumn, there was a special meeting you wanted to tell me about?@

AYes, a support group for us female martial artists. Let me say it was quite a trick finding you,@ Autumn said.

AHow would that be? The number to my dojo and my house are both in the phonebook, complete with directions,@ Yoko replied.

AWell aside from the fact I don=t know my way around here, it seems like one part of the martial arts community regards you as an urban legend, despite the fact that your feat was displayed on the Internet.@

AAnd I=m still looking for the person who recorded it,@ Yoko added.

AAnother part, consisting mainly of the aikido practitioners in the area, wants to deny your existence, claiming you violate the tenants of aikido itself, teaching only a mockery of the art.@

AMy former teacher is very popular.@

AAnd the third part, your supporters, think the world of you, but they are very protective of you. It took me a while to convince them that I=m not here to challenge you, or expose you before they gave me directions here.@

AIt makes for a piece of unique irony; this town sees me as their biggest hero, while my old teacher sees me as his biggest failure.@ She turned to the squirming James. AWhy aren=t you sitting still? It will only take me a moment to finish.@

AReally, Yoko, I=ll be okay; I need to get back to the office,@ James said as he got out of his chair. With surprising strength, Yoko slapped the palm of her left hand against his chest, and pushed him back down hard.

AJames,@ she began in a quiet voice with a slight grin on her face, Ayou=ve been beat up, and you need your wounds tended to. Now, you can sit in that chair and let me take care of them, or I can show you what being beat up really feels like.@

James stopped moving. It almost looked like he stopped breathing as well.

AYou sound like my wing chun teacher,@ Autumn remarked, laughing.

AI get these two extremes when I teach my classes. I either have those who bawl like a baby if they break a nail, or I have those who could have their arm barely hanging to their shoulder, and they=d say, >no, it=s all right, I=ll just walk it off.= And that last part isn=t just among men either. Acting like they=re in some John Wayne movie or something. There, you=re finished, James. That wasn=t so bad, was it?@

ANo,@ James answered quietly.

ABefore I tell you the nature of this group, should I discuss this privately, or . . .@ Autumn asked as she left pool side and walked to a chair close to the two and sat down.

ADepends.@ Yoko turned to James and asked, AWhat have you heard about me?@

AUh, not much,@ James replied, but Yoko=s stare didn=t like that answer. AWell, there=s a few rumors about you being an enforcer for a mob, you got kicked out of a dojo for killing a man, and something about you taking on some rough gang and taking out five or six of them.@

AI see. Well the last one is true.@ Yoko turned to Autumn. AProceed.@

AThe support group is for female martial artists who seriously injured or ah, went one step further, and-@

AKilled, you can say it,@ Yoko jumped in. James started to look pale.

A- killed another person or persons in combat. We=re talking about fighting to save one=s own life or the lives of others. No homicidal maniacs here.@

AI see. Sounds interesting.@

AAnd we don=t sit around feeling sorry for ourselves, or talk about the best way to break someone=s neck, we just hang out with each other and form friendships.@

AThat=s it? That doesn=t sound like much,@ James objected.

AYou could say the same about Holocaust survivors, James,@ Autumn responded.

ABut the Holocaust survivors have this one big event in their lives, and, uh, I get it now. Sorry.@

AThe taking of a human life isn=t like what you see in the movies,@ Yoko said. AAfter it=s over, you realize that the person you took out is gone. Their light is burnt out. Unlike almost anything else that can heal, that person won=t. Whatever plans they had for the future is gone, and you=re responsible.@

ABut don=t soldiers and policemen deal with it all the time?@

AAnd there lies the fallacy of your argument, all the time. There are many policemen and soldiers who had served their whole career without drawing their gun. And those who had don=t want to talk about it.@

AYoko, I admit I have watched your event on DVD before I got here, and I have a nagging question. I=ve been told aikido is a nonviolent, peaceful art. It has almost no strikes, and you blend with your attacker for the goal of making him or her comply. So how did your techniques become fatal?@ Autumn asked.

Yoko grinned slightly. AI get that question a lot. Now let=s drop the philosophical arguments for right now. Aikido=s current philosophy didn=t immediately arrive at where it was until O= Sensei had an awakening of some sort. Okay, there are twenty to fifty basic techniques in the art, depending on who you ask. But the variations on those techniques are nearly endless. It=s been said that there was over three thousand total, but as some of us aikidoists would say, that was on a bad day. The number of variations are limited only by your imagination, and the circumstances of the encounter. As you could imagine, I didn=t have time to conduct experiments on what worked and what didn=t; all I had running through my head was these guys were trying to kill us, and I needed to stop them from doing so.

AWhat most aikido instructors don=t tell you is that their >nonviolent= art can be potentially lethal. The holds alone can break bone, some of the basic throws can break your neck or your back. And yes, we have strikes and kicks; not many, but we do. If you strip aikido of its morality, it can be horrendous. It=s just downplayed so much, people question if it=s effective at all.

AAs for the morality of what I did, the Scorpions were going to, and I quote, >strip us, beat us, and make us call them daddy.= They were about to do that with two white belts. I couldn=t stand for that either. No apologies is what I=m trying to say, I guess.@

ANo need to apologize to me, you had no choice,@ said Autumn.

AI=m sorry; you=d be surprised how many I had to explain myself to,@ Yoko replied.

AYou said your sensei saw you as his biggest failure; I don=t understand.@

AFormer sensei, and neither do I. He is very popular around these parts for his aikido demonstrations and messages of nonviolence. He had a following, which explained why is dojo was one of the biggest. Me, I just thought aikido was cool, and I signed up at the first dojo I saw. But when the Scorpions attacked, and I >crossed the line,= he saw his whole world fall apart. It didn=t, of course, but he started seeing me as the living contradiction to what he lived for. There was suddenly friction where there wasn=t before.@

ABut you defended yourself! You saved lives!@ Autumn argued.

AI know that, and everyone else in town, and three-quarters of the dojo thought so. But the sensei and many of his followers thought differently. Things finally came to a head when we had another one of our >little talks= after practice. I finally exploded and asked him, >would you rather it was me and some of our students lying there, beaten, violated, and killed?= He didn=t say a word. That=s when I emptied my locker, walked out the front door, and didn=t look back.@

ADid he want you to run?@ James asked.

Yoko turned to face him. AThere was nowhere to run, plus I was on my knees to start out with. No, he wanted me to negotiate with them. I had killer rapists attacking with knives. There was no time for me to settle them down and sing Kum Ba Yah with them. It was life or death, and I liked my life just fine, thank you very much.@

AHow are things now?@ Autumn asked.

AI=m still hailed as a hero, but among the sensei=s fan club, or I should add my ex-sensei, I=m not. I hooked up with one teacher who understood, and gave me my black belt. He=s on my side. As for the others, I believe they would like to burn this dojo down with me in it if there was a nonviolent way to do so. Plus there are all types of strange rumors floating around. I stopped messing with them ten years ago. I get invited to seminars and other events to speak on self-defense, I swim several laps every morning every chance I get, I teach aikido regularly, and I attend church every Sunday. That also answers the question of why I=m not bonkers.@

AI think you would have much to offer to our group. We have a few who still feel guilty.@

AHuh. There were a number of things I felt on that day, but guilt wasn=t one of them.@ When she saw the shocked look on both faces, Yoko explained. AI=ll explain it to you the same way I explained it at seminars and other functions. A serial rapist or killer has broken into your house, and he is standing over the barely conscious body of a loved one, your parents, siblings, fiancee, child, whoever, and he has a ten-inch butcher knife ready to plunge into their chest. You discover you have a loaded gun in front of you, and find that your assailant is in range. You have only seconds to act, what would you do?@

AWhat else could I do? I=d take the gun and shoot,@ Autumn replied. AI don=t know if I=d hit him, but I=d be close.@

AUh, what she said,@ James said slowly.

AAccuracy is not the issue here, that=s not the point. When I give that question, I have even heard committed Quakers say that they would blow the sucker away. The only negative answer I got was from a man who was legally blind, and he said he would fire the gun up in the air,@ Yoko continued. AHe would be afraid he=d hit the wrong person, but firing up in the air would scare the assailant off or get him into position for a better shot.

AMy question after that is how guilty would you feel after you saved a life, as opposed to doing nothing and watching them die?@

AI think I might feel guilty about shooting the assailant,@ James said slowly, then stopped when Yoko looked at him.

AWould you really, James? Remember, you just saved a life here. Would you feel guilty for that?@ She asked.

ANo.@

AThat=s better. Now you know what I had to deal with that day if only a little. The name Clara Jennings doesn=t mean anything to either of you, but she remembers that day very well. Clara was a struggling white belt when the gang attacked. She knew enough to put the first man in a sankyo - excuse me, a pinning hold, but the second and third attackers tackled her and started kicking her and pulling off her gi. It doesn=t take a genius to guess what they were going to do next.

AI was sparring with some guy who had a ten-inch butcher knife. I know this because I have it as a souvenir. My sankyo move actually broke his wrist, and I prepared to execute a throw, which involved sending my arm to hit his upper chest. I saw what was happening to Clara, and I saw that I was the only person in range to help her. Without realizing it, my arm wrapped around my attacker=s neck. I executed a sudden twist, and a small squeak was the last sound he made as he fell to the floor. It took me a second to realize what I did, and maybe my victim was not as quiet as I thought, for all three of Clara=s attackers stopped what they were doing, and looked at the body, and then looked at me. Then they charged.

AClara saw it too, but she looked more relieved than shocked. She was a trooper though. She tried to put her gi back together and help, but I told her to run. A man who was a yellow belt ran over and pulled her to safety, while she yelled, >we need to help Yoko!= By the time they came back, it was over.@

AI see your point,@ Autumn replied. ASo how is she, what happened to her?@

AShe eventually >defected= and took my classes. She made black belt, got married to that yellow belt guy ironically enough, and moved out of state. I receive an email from her often. And I have said a lot; sometimes I get carried away. Autumn, what=s your story?@

AIt=s not as dramatic as fighting off gangs, but it was bad enough. My boyfriend and I were walking back to his car after seeing a movie. We were laughing and joking around when a man jumped out of the shadows and mugged us. He had a gun, and he wanted our money; no problem, we started to give it to him. But he had this crazed look, like he wanted more from us besides money. After we gave him our money, he said some stuff about us seeing his face. My boyfriend saw him prepare to pull the trigger, and that=s what saved his life. He moved our of the way a bit too late as the bullet scraped his side. He fell in pain, and I went berserk. I screamed, and struck his arm at just the right place to numb his arm enough to make him drop the gun. Then I followed with a left kick to the knee joint. And then - there=s this one punch, the >Omega Punch,= I=ve been told never to use unless it=s life or death. But he was in the right position, and he was so tall. I powered my heel palm thrust as an uppercut from my waist to strike him under the chin. He bumped against a wall, and fell to the ground in a heap. I checked my boyfriend, and it took me at least three tries to dial 911. Then it hit me that I forgot our attacker was behind me. It turned out I didn=t have to worry about him anymore. I think I cried for three hours that night.@

AHow was your boyfriend?@ Yoko asked.

AHe just lost a little skin. It bled a little, but it burned like fire. Every once in a while, he=ll joke about it, saying you don=t want to see me mad. We=ve talked about it, so we=re dealing with it pretty good.@

AGreat. I imagine the others have stories that are similar,@ Yoko remarked.

AThe one who started the group created her own form of tai chi.@

AI heard about that.@

AWell she tested it in various arena situations, but one day, she was coming home from some get-together when she was attacked by some crazy guy with a knife. Her tai chi worked very well, maybe too well as she ended up killing the man. Turned out he was suspected for several rapes and murders in the area. Another woman encountered a gang, like you did, except they grabbed her boyfriend. She tracked them down and attacked them, killing the leader. There=s more, but you get the idea.@

AYes I do. Interesting stories.@

AHere=s one more interesting thing I found out; both the women I mentioned have black belts in aikido. There=s a few others who practice it too in our group. I=d never expect so many from that >peaceful= discipline to be there. I expected more kung fu and karate women to be there.@

Yoko raised up her arms in surrender. AHey, I just know my story, I can=t speak for the others.@ She glanced at James. AHey, I still need to drop James off at work. Can you stick around a little while longer?@

ASure.@

AGreat. Let=s go, James.@

As they got into Yoko=s pickup, Yoko saw the stricken look on James= face.

AWhat=s wrong, James? Are you well?@ She asked.

AYou and Autumn, you two were talking about killing people,@ he replied in a hushed tone.

AOh. I can see where a subject like that could be a little intimidating or frightening to the average layperson. Plus it was done in self-defense. I=m sure I speak for Autumn as well as myself when I tell you that we only use our powers for good.@

ABut you were more . . . casual about it.@

AI had fifteen years to eventually become casual about it, plus there were people=s lives at stake. That dulls the horror a little bit.@

Per James= instructions, they made a short trip downtown to a small office, that had a relieved secretary when she saw James.

AI hope your day gets better, James,@ Yoko said as she pulled up. AHey, maybe you could drop by the dojo sometime.@

AYoko,@ James said slowly, Aagain, I thank you for rescuing me, I mean that, but I don=t think I=ll be dropping by. Forgive me for being blunt, but frankly, you scare me to death.@

Yoko by response, smiled widely. AYou wouldn=t be the first person to tell me that. Bye, James.@ And she drove off.

James wondered what was so funny about someone being scared of you, then shook it off, and entered his office building.

****

After concluding her meeting with Autumn, Yoko proceeded to take her daily swim, and to towel herself off before she walked to her bedroom to prepare for her day classes. As she changed into her gi, she thought back to another time; one where her idealism was further challenged and dealt another blow.

Three weeks after the incident at her dojo, now her former dojo, Yoko walked to her car in the parking garage. The interview went well, she thought. Her chances of getting that secretarial position at that new consulting firm looked good.

As strange as it sounded to some people, being a secretary was one of Yoko=s longtime goals. Her friends thought she underestimated herself, while her mother thought aspiring to that as a career was so A1950=s,@ that is, eons ago, that was all a woman could attain in terms of a lucrative career. Her father kept pondering about it, and was concerned about the traditional stereotype of the boss chasing the secretary around a desk becoming reality. Once she explained the duties a secretary performed, which amounted to running the place in everything but name, they understood. Despite the traumatic event at the dojo, she graduated business school with honors and received a couple of good prospects to start her new career.

At the new dojo she started attending, her new sensei said she was more than ready to test for a black belt, and probably have been for some time. He wondered why her old teacher didn=t test her sooner. Yoko wondered about that herself along with several things, but this wasn=t the time to ponder them. She was now a black belt, and maybe in the next day or two, an official secretary.

However she had this feeling she was being watched.

Her aikido classes had always taught her to be aware of her surroundings. But after the attack at the old dojo, it was probably a little understandable to feel a little paranoid. Still, she couldn=t shake it.

Ignoring it, she kept walking. On this day, she even felt like a secretary in her new clothes, consisting of a black business suit with jacket and skirt, a white T-shirt-like blouse, tan pantyhose and black loafers. She prepared to dig into her large black purse and pull out her car keys.

And froze.

As if by magic, several forms appeared in front of her and behind her. From their colors, they were apparently the remaining members of the Scorpions that weren=t captured by police or the Demons. Yoko didn=t bother asking them why they were there. There were five good reasons lying on the floor of the Serenity Dojo three weeks ago to cite for that.

AIt=s time for payback, little girl,@ one man said. He apparently was the new leader. The former one was one of those that Yoko dispatched. AYour little kung fu tricks won=t help you now.@

Yoko inwardly bristled. During the time she=d been interviewed by the press and others, she had to correct them. AIt=s aikido, not karate, kung fu, or judo,@ she had to repeat often. Even now, she couldn=t stop herself from saying, AIt=s aikido.@

AOh excuse me!@ Another man exploded. AIt won=t mean nothin= after I cut you open,@ He activated his switchblade for dramatic effect.

AYou killed my man!@ The lone woman in the group shouted. She had dirty blond hair, a black leather jacket, black jeans, a white T-shirt worn a size or two too tight so she could display her breasts, and black high-top sneakers. Yoko reflected she could=ve been a pretty woman, but her face reflected the tolls of hard living on the street, leaving her well short of her potential.

AI had no choice,@ Yoko replied, more to the woman than anyone else. She was tired of explaining her actions to those who couldn=t or wouldn=t understand, least of all the gang responsible.

AWe=re going to take you, throw you down, and show you how a real man should treat you, all of us. After we=re finished, you=ll be begging us to finish you quick. Then maybe we=ll visit your family and do them too. We have a few others, but you=re at the top of the list. Ain=t that nice of us?@ The leader said.

Yoko was silent.

AI said, ain=t that nice of us?@ He yelled.

Yoko weighed her options, and finding no others except one, quietly took off her purse from her shoulder and placed it on the floor of the garage. Next, she lifted each leg and pulled off her shoes, placing them beside the purse. The concrete felt cool beneath her stocking feet.

AAnswer me!@ The leader demanded.

Yoko had her mind on other things. She was taught in cases involving multiple attackers, that they don=t always all attack at once. There was usually an AAlpha A B a person who initiates the attack. Deal with the alpha, and you=ll have a better chance of dealing with the others. The other thought was how far did she need to go in her attack, a question that she never had to ponder before. What happened three weeks ago just happened, nothing planned. This time she knew this group would not let her leave alive, and talking them out of it was not up for consideration. Escape wasn=t either. There was a line of men who stood in front of her car, and the rest situated in case she attempted a foot race to the stairs and elevators. In fact, she could see that several of them planned for just that. However, they were wrong. And unfortunately for at least some of them, she still remembered the same unintentionally fatal moves she used three weeks ago, and in the back of her mind, mentally polished them. She settled into a state her new sensei called >Clearing the Cobwebs,= where she attained an aware calmness, an eye in the storm, seeing all the madness around you, yet remaining still apart from it. It was in the awareness that Yoko realized what she felt she must do.

AStupid slut, answer me when I talk to you!@ The leader said as he marched up and delivered a slap to Yoko=s face. Before his open hand could make contact, she seized his wrist, locked it, and threw him. Everyone, save Yoko was momentarily stunned when they saw their leader screaming on the parking garage floor, cradling a broken arm.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yoko saw a passerby reach her car and prepare to open the door when she saw what was going on. She turned and fled, pulling out her cell phone as she did so.

AGet her! Kill her!@ The leader screamed in-between bouts of pain-filled profanity. Yoko started to look forward to shutting him up.

The next attacker wasn=t going to try laying a hand on her, so he tried stabbing her with his switchblade instead. Yoko sidestepped the forward stab and seized his arm. The lock on his wrist released the blade, while Yoko draped the other arm around his neck in something resembling a reverse headlock. It was called a sayu-undo hold that she switched to a choke. She tightened the hold as she pivoted her victim around as a human shield, absorbing the blows of the others. Finally, after using him to clear away more room to maneuver, Yoko released the man, who dropped to the ground in a heap. The gang halted for their second time that day as they stared at their fallen comrade.

For he wasn=t moving. A closer examination revealed that he wasn=t going to move, ever again.

The sight of their injured leader and dead companion was too much for the gang, as they roared and charged forward. But the more enraged the gang was, the deadlier Yoko became, as she now faced the entire group at this point. The cars that were now parked beside her served as protection against any attack from behind.

Three men, another man with a knife, and two street kickboxers came forward. Street kickboxing was not the same as its more professional cousins, US Kickboxing, Savate, and Maui Thai. In fact, if someone brought up the topic of street kickboxing to a practitioner of any of those three, he or she would probably give a look of disgust, and insist it was not an art, martial or otherwise. It=s basically street fighting with kicks. Legend had it that an amateur kickboxer, kicked out of his gym for some reason, started a street gang, and taught them how to kick box. That gang was supposed to have the fiercest fighters in the area. Whether the legend was true or not, other street gangs took up the tactic. Professionals looked down on it, but to the man on the street, it made the regular street gang look more fearsome.

The first of the trio threw a punch. Yoko ducked, and using his momentum, turned him around and pushed him into the man with a knife. She then sidestepped a kick from the third one, and where the normal move would be to apply a forearm blow to the chest to propel him away, Yoko aimed her blow higher up, sending a flying forearm to the man=s throat. He fell, trying to breathe through his crushed larynx.

The man with the knife tried to overcome his horror, as he looked into the gaze of his friend, impaled on his knife. He dropped the blade like it was diseased, and apologized to his friend, trying in vain to rouse him. He finally closed his eyes and looked up at the woman responsible.

Yoko was almost spinning like a top, sending the remaining attackers sprawling with lethal results. One man shattered the side window of a nearby car head first, lacerating his neck. Another street kickboxer found his leg dislocated from its socket, and then was injured further when another body landed on top of him.

ARico!@ The injured kickboxer shouted to his leader. ARico! We gotta leave! That woman is death, man! We gotta go!@

Rico was fighting to stay conscious at this point, the pain from his arm waging a battle between blackness and nausea. Two of his men carried him to safety, leaning him against a nearby car before they joined the others to fight Yoko. He remembered he had a gun, but being right-handed, it offered little comfort since his right arm was broken. He couldn=t hope to shoot using his left hand without hitting someone, and he was trying to hold it together without throwing up. He nodded his head, confirming the order, and then barked out an order for one of the gang, now a little less than a handful, to help him up. Revenge will have to wait.

By orders, the remaining Scorpions backed away from Yoko, pausing to gather the wounded. The dead had to be dealt with later. In making their escape, they ran into an additional problem. The one obstacle that stood in their way was Yoko. And what was worse was Yoko seemed to know it too, and she wasn=t moving.

One man yelled at Yoko to move out of the way. Yoko ignored him, watching for someone to make a move. After what had conspired, it wasn=t like any threats they had left added up to anything. But brawn, not brains was this man=s forte, and he hobbled forward on his hurt leg, attempting to deliver a flying tackle.

The throw Yoko delivered sent him high into the air to land hard on his back. Amazingly, he struggled to get up. Yoko without looking, raised her left leg, and stomped her nylon-clad foot on his neck. The man=s body twitched in its death throes.

The remaining attackers fought out of fear and desperation now. Injured or not, they made their last stand. For Yoko, the reply was almost laughingly simple. One counter to an attacker left the body heading one way, while the man=s neck went another, though they were still attached; a knife attack resulted with the attacker=s spine broken like a wet stick. Yoko suddenly grabbed one man and spun him around. He was confused by this unusual attack until he saw and felt the blade from the razor cut through the leather of his jacket, the cloth of his T-shirt, and his flesh. He looked down at his wound, then at the author of his disembowelment.

The woman looked back at him in horror, dropping her straight razor, her personal weapon of choice. She could=ve swore that lady was open; she exercised one of her best cuts. How could she move in time? She backed up against the wall, hands to her mouth, watching her friend finally collapse on the crimson floor.

AGun . . . back pocket,@ Rico gasped to his man, the only man left who was still breathing and able-bodied, the one who earlier had a man impaled on his knife. He quickly, but gingerly pulled the revolver out of the back of the other man=s jeans.

Contrary to what was seen in movies, westerns in particular, a quick draw with a revolver is not as easy as it looks, especially when the goal is to accurately shoot someone. Add to that using a gun used primarily for close-contact use, like muggings and robberies, along with shaky hands covered with sweat and blood, not to mention pulling the weapon from the back of someone=s jeans, speed ceases to be an option.

So it was no problem for Yoko to sidestep where the gun would be aimed, and break the man=s wrist with a basic nikyo hold. With a scream, the man broke free, and threw a badly telegraphed left jab, followed by an equally pitiful right roundhouse kick. Yoko parried the punch, and then stepped in, closing the distance. She then placed one hand on his chest, and the other beneath the knee joint of the leg he tried to kick with. Taking his momentum and accelerating it, Yoko moved her arms like a wheel, powering into it to create a throw that normally slammed her foe on his back. However, the throw threw him on Yoko=s intended target, the head and the back of the neck.

Yoko surveyed the damage, and then spun around to avoid a punch thrown by Rico, the leader. Practically out on his feet, it was no problem to sweep him off of them.

There were only two of them now; Rico and the woman, still a little shocked over cutting open one of her own. They were both up against the wall, barricaded by cars and the bodies of their gang members. Yoko took a step forward, and landed in something wet that soaked through her stocking foot. She looked down and saw that it was blood, coming from the man the gang=s woman eviscerated. It wasn=t cold and clammy like she=s heard in the horror movies, but warm and gooey. She lifted her right foot, staring at her sole in fascination for a moment, and then she put it down and walked toward Rico, leaving one bloody footprint beside the sweaty one on the concrete floor.

Rico slowly sat himself up, propping himself by his good arm. When he was attacking the dojo three weeks ago, he attacked the beginners, those who didn=t know what they were doing. He had the upper hand against two white belts until some guy with a yellow belt jumped in. He had no idea of his leader=s demise until they had to make a hasty retreat, and heard some woman in pigtails took out five of them. He was told she was good, but he had no idea. And now out of all the Scorpions there in existence, only he and the woman were left. And it took no time at all. He looked up to see Yoko looking down at him.

AYou think I=m going to apologize for what we done?@ Rico said with false bravado. AWe are Scorpions! We take what we want! We bow to no one. We=ll be back, bigger than ever! Then you better look out.@

He continued to boast, call her every name he could think of, insulted her ethnic heritage, and openly questioned her sexual preference and experience. He cursed some more, and ended with spitting at her. He missed, but his message was clear. Yoko quietly listened to all he had to say, and then she kicked him.

Her blood-covered foot, guided by a leg made firm by years of swimming, stuck Rico on the jaw, a red spot left on it from the blood. Rico thought his head would fly off. When it looked like the world would stop spinning, she kicked him again. The heel of her foot this time bloodied his nose. The woman started screaming at Yoko to stop it, but Yoko proceeded to launch her third kick. Her big toe hit Rico=s throat, crushing it.

And Rico was finally silenced.

While Rico was dying, Yoko slowly turned to look at the woman. A cold feeling grew in the feminine gang-banger=s gut as she realized she was the only one left.

AHey uh, Yoko, right?@ She began. AThis thing, this was between all the guys, right? This was all their idea to attack your karate place. And it . . . it was Rico=s idea to go after you. Me, I just hang with them, that=s all. So, I can just go, right?@

And Yoko delivered her third and final answer to the Scorpion.

ANo,@ she said.

It made for a cold logic; if she=s gone, then she wouldn=t be able to come back and retaliate, or somehow round up another gang to get her. The woman understood it, but right now, she didn=t like it.

Reaching behind her into her back pockets, she pulled out two switchblades.

Geez, how many knives does this girl have? Yoko thought.

Wielding her blades, the woman B Allyson, her name was, Yoko found out later B gave a battle cry and lunged forward.

There was one more scream, and then all was still.

The bystander ran with police officers John Russo, and Brandon Bryant, tall, lanky men, to the spot where the Scorpions threatened a young woman. What they saw instead, was a sight that the woman bystander found unbelievable. She saw a woman with one bloody stockinged foot, standing in the middle of a sea of bodies. The woman in the leather jacket, known as AAllyson Razor,@ because of her brutal reputation with sharp instruments, lay in front of her, the head turned a little too far around, eyes wide open, seeing nothing. The male corpses were contoured in varied positions, as if posing for some macabre dance video.

For officers Russo and Bryant, it was d#j# vu once more; for they were two of the officers that arrived at the Serenity Dojo on that fateful day three weeks before. To them, everything was clear-cut; the remaining Scorpions wanted payback, but the price was too high.

AAre you all right, Miss Nagano?@ Russo asked.

AYes, I=m fine,@ Yoko said quietly. Bryant escorted her through the maze of bodies to the awaiting squad car so she could sit down. The bystander collected Yoko=s purse and shoes.

ALet me guess; these gang bangers came for revenge because of what you did at the dojo, and you had to defend yourself, right?@ Bryant said.

AYes,@ Yoko replied.

AI know this is a traumatic time for you, doubly so since you experienced this twice in so short a time, but you=ve done in two days what we=ve been trying to do for years; take out the Scorpions.@

AYou did this, all by yourself?@ The bystander said.

AYes ma=am,@ Bryant answered for her. AThe Scorpions attacked her dojo a month ago, almost the whole gang. The dojo fought back, but it was Ms. Nagano here who created the most damage and caused them to retreat. But that wasn=t before this lady took down five of their toughest men.@

AI thought it was a bad rumor.@

ANo ma=am, our lady here is a local hero.@

AHero,@ Yoko said slowly, pondering the word. AI wish my old sensei thought so, instead of a monster.@

AMiss, believe me, he=s in the minority. But to me, the force, and everyone else, you=ve saved lives,@ Russo replied. ANow you know what we need to do. Tell us what happened, without the Japanese names for the throws and stuff, you can summarize that.@

Yoko told what she endured, leaving out the technical details, and what she did to the gang=s leader. Years later, she would still ponder if what she did with him crossed the line from self-defense to murder.

After the account was taken, Russo said, AI think that should do it,@ as he closed his notebook. AEven a blind man will see this is self-defense, and you=ll probably receive more fame than you can stand, but that should do it.@

APlease don=t,@ Yoko said weakly.

APardon? They attacked you, Miss Nagano, with the intention to kill you. You defended yourself, you did nothing wrong,@ Bryant responded.

AI understand you have a job to do, and this has to be reported, but please leave my name out of it. Tell them a rival gang did it, they fought each other and killed themselves, something, I don=t care. Leave me out, please, I=m begging you.@

Both policemen paused, looked at each other, then Russo nodded Bryant over to a spot so they could talk to each other privately. Meanwhile, the bystander sat by Yoko, handing her a bottled water. She was fairly tall at 5'9" with short black hair and a medium white complexion. She, like Yoko, was also dressed for business in a red business jacket, a black skirt, and a white button down blouse. Nude hose and black flats finished the outfit. She looked at Yoko with a sense of awe and wondering how someone could be so stupid to take on someone who slain five men with her bare hands.

ALet me put your shoes back on - oh, wait a minute,@ the woman said.

AHuh?@ Yoko asked.

AYour foot, it=s all bloody, let me get -@

AIt=s not mine. I=ll take care of that.@ Yoko walked around the squad car, looked around, and then rolled down her pantyhose, pulled them off, then walked back barefoot to where she sat. When she was offered her shoes again, she just took them and placed them in her purse with her hose. AI will take some tissue to wipe my foot off, if you have any.@

The woman dug into her purse and pulled out a few. AI=m always told I carry too many tissues; I guess now they=re coming in handy. I=m Kaye with an >e,= by the way. I was going to see my mother when I saw you and . . . those guys. I didn=t think it was a good idea to help you take them on, I=m such a klutz; so I used my cell phone. Then I couldn=t find a signal, I had to stand in front of some large window before I got the police. I was so afraid it would be too late. Well I guess it was, for them.@

Yoko placed a hand on Kaye=s. AYou did good, Kaye,@ she said.

AEr, for what it=s worth . . . I had, uh have a friend, her name is Kimmie, and a year and a half ago, she was raped by a Scorpion. She made it out okay, but now she can=t even leave the house, much less go through a garage, without taking someone with her. I guess what I=m saying for what it=s worth, on her behalf and mine is thanks.@

AYou=re welcome.@

The policemen returned to the two women. Russo paused, and said, AWell it looks like we have the aftermath of a gang battle. The remaining Scorpions must have ran into someone out to get them. What a mess. What do you think, Brandon?@

AYes, inter-gang violence if I ever saw it,@ Brandon replied, winking at Yoko.

AThanks guys, I owe you one,@ Yoko said.

AHey, my lips are sealed,@ Kaye spoke. AI don=t want to spoil things here, but what about the bloody footprints?@

Russo saw them and said, AWhat about them? Someone survived the battle and limped away. We may never know who it was.@

AWe better move the squad car,@ Brandon remarked. Russo nodded. AThere was an accident in town that slowed everybody up, but more officers and CSI will be here, so you better go. Is your car nearby?@

AYes,@ Yoko and Kaye said.

AMiss Nagano, you=ve already paid us a debt this town cannot repay. You want to pay us back? Live a long and fruitful life,@ Russo said.

AThank you,@ Yoko said. She was told later she didn=t get the job.

=====

A year and a half later, Yoko was in-between classes at a gym she rented out for that purpose. Her own house with a dojo and heated pool was being built, and it wouldn=t be long before getting to work would be a process of just getting out of bed and throwing on her uniform.

A knock on the door of her temporary office caught her attention. She opened it, and saw Kaye, and a blond woman the same height who looked like she wanted to melt into the woodwork and stay there.

AHi Yoko,@ Kaye said in a perky voice. AThis is my friend Kimmie, and we want to join your class.@

AGreat!@ Yoko replied. AI=ll be happy to have you.@

AHey Kimmie, could you give me a second? I need to talk to Yoko for just a moment; it=ll be all right, I promise,@ Kaye said.

AThat=s okay,@ Kimmie replied in a small voice. AI=- I=m starting to feel at home here.@

Kaye closed the door almost shut. ASo how is the business going? It=s obviously not what you interviewed for,@ she said.

ANope, but it does have its advantages. I can make my own rules, I have no one to answer to, and I can go barefoot all day without drawing attention. I=m really glad you came; it saves me the trouble of trying to track you down.@

AReally?@

AYeah. Aikido can help give you coordination, making you uh, less clumsy; I=m going by your admission here.@

AI=m still a klutz, yes.@

AAnd it will give Kimmie more self-confidence, so she=ll be more independent. I don=t pretend to be a shrink, but I think after a year of my classes, she=ll be back on her own. But did you have a question for me?@

AHow are you feeling?@

AI=m fine; funny as it is to say so, teaching aikido has been very therapeutic for me. That, and joining a new church that started up in that strip mall downtown. So other than being more graceful, why do you want to take up aikido?@

AI know it=ll take years to get there, but after thinking about what you did that day, I want to be able to do what you do.@

Yoko thought back to that day, her smile fading a little, and replied, AOh Kaye, I hope not.@

=====

Yoko smiled to herself as she finished putting her gi on. Kaye and Kimmie were now two of her core students. Not only were they black belts, they also assist her in many of her classes. Kaye was no longer clumsy, and Kimmie had recently climbed a mountain in Colorado barehanded, and in honor of her teacher, barefooted. A far cry from a woman who was at one time scared to leave the house. And in a quirk of fate, the man who raped her was imprisoned on another charge, avoiding the purges of the years before. He stalked Kimmie and trapped her, but she was ready for him. After he had a lengthy hospital stay from numerous injuries, he returned to prison, receiving the Ahonor@ of being called AThe Last Scorpion. That only caused Yoko=s classes to grow.

Fully dressed, Yoko walked to her dresser, and pulled open her middle drawer. She reached for a small shoebox in the back. She opened the box, and pulled out a plastic bag that contained the pantyhose she wore that day. She washed them once, the day after it happened. It was new the day she wore them, run-free and almost perfect, except for the blood stain on the sole of the right foot. She wasn=t sure why she saved them. Perhaps as a reminder. Of what, she wasn=t sure. Maybe to remind her of how deadly an allegedly peaceful martial art can be, or maybe, how deadly she can be. Maybe she=ll figure it out one day.

She placed the pantyhose back in the plastic bag, and put the bag in the shoebox. After putting the shoebox back in the drawer, she looked at the clock. Class would be starting in fifteen minutes. She closed her drawer and entered her dojo. It was time for the workday to begin.

*****

After taking his workmates to the emergency ward, Dave returned to work, where the receptionist called and told him he was to see Brad immediately. Suddenly, Dave wished he was lying in the emergency ward instead of walking through the front doors of the main office. Even the receptionist gave him a dirty look as she silently pointed a long finger to Brad=s office. He was seated behind his desk as usual, and as expected, he wasn=t happy.

AMay I have a seat, Mr. Brad?@ Dave asked tentatively.

ANo. When I hired you and your friends, I did it to give you a break, a second chance; not an opportunity to play your rendition of The Godfather,@ Brad replied.

AYes sir.@

AWhat were you thinking? What injuries did the others receive? Don=t bother with names.@

AOne guy got a broken arm, another got a shoulder injury, another received a sprained neck, and the last one has a concussion.@

AI understand he hit the table pretty hard.@

AYes sir; I think he dented the table.@

AYou=re lucky you didn=t get more than that.@

ASo who is she, some kung fu chick?@

AAikido! Yoko was right; people do get it confused with the others. And she is one of the biggest heroes in this town if not the biggest,@ Brad exclaimed.

Dave looked confused.

ALet me tell you a little story, Dave,@ Brad explained. AOnce upon a time, about fifteen years ago, this city was divided in two by two street gangs, the Scorpions and the Demons.@

AYeah, I heard about them, they-@

ADon=t interrupt. They had such a stranglehold on everything, they could get away with murder, and they usually did. The two gangs stayed in their respective halves, except for the occasional skirmish. You with me so far?@

AYes sir.@

AOne day the Scorpions were seeking to expand their territory, and they tried to shake down this particular dojo for protection money. The dojo refused the first two times, and the third time they attacked.

AIt was an ugly mess, but the dojo won. The teacher and the other students took care of a few, but Yoko fought off a lot of them, and she took five out.@

AShe knocked them out?@

ANo, she took them out, as in out of this world.@

AYou mean she killed them?@

ANow you=re catching on. The leader and second-in-command were among those she killed. The gang was severely weakened, and they ceased to exist a couple of months later. In fact, a large number of them were found dead in a parking garage. No one knows who did it, but there are some rumors.@

ARumors like what?@

AIt=s not important. What=s important is by saving lives by doing what she did in that dojo that day, Yoko became a hero. She started an aikido studio of her own, and you know the rest, rather painfully.@

Dave cleared his throat before he spoke carefully. AThat=s an impressive story, sir, but how do you know she=s the one who took out those gang members? How do you know it=s not some rumor, a legend, or something?@

Brad smiled slightly. AOne of the students, visitors, no one is sure which, hid in the supply closet and filmed it on either their cell phone or portable camera. That very day it appeared on the internet. It was on Blue Tube, Zing TV, Deadly Chicks.com, you name it. It took forever to get the footage taken off, and I bet you could still find it if you look hard enough.@

AHave you seen it?@

AYes. It was also on local TV for a time, too.@

AShe must=ve got lucky.@

ALucky? Dave, she sent four of my men to the hospital, and if you didn=t exercise what little sense you have, you would be there too. You got lucky. The only reason you=re not looking at jail time right now is because the accountant you kidnapped decided not to press charges. I dodged a bullet on that one. Again, what were you thinking? Why don=t you explain it to me.@

AWell, I uh, heard she gets challenges from people who want to beat her up, and she gets money if she wins. So I thought-@

ALet me guess, if you thought by abducting her, you could get some money, and the accountant was to keep it straight? Am I right?@

AWell uh, yes sir.@

It took a great deal of self-control for Brad to keep from exploding. ADo you know how dangerous and stupid that sounds, not to mention illegal and immoral? Were you guys drinking when you thought of that? Kidnapping and extortion were against the law last time I checked. And you couldn=t nab some regular Joe off the street, no. You grabbed one of the most dangerous women around. She could have hurt you real bad. Plus, she=s a good friend of my wife. She would=ve taken a piece of you if you hurt her. You messed up big time. This is strike two, Dave, a big strike. One more, and you=re out on the street.@

Dave stood, examining his shoes.

AI=ll tell you what, I happen to have a DVD of that event, and I=ll even make a copy for you. After all, you=ll have a whole week to watch it,@ Brad said.

AMr. Brad, does that-@

AYes Dave, it means you=re suspended for a week. If I hear any objections, I=ll make it two. Your fellow colleagues will be out at least that long, if not longer with their assorted injuries, so why should you get away scot-free? This should teach them a valuable lesson to be careful of who they listen to. Come back to my receptionist to pick up the DVD in ten minutes, and then go home. You=re dismissed.@

Dave turned around to leave.

AOh, and Dave?@

Dave turned back around to face Brad.

AIf I was playing the godfather or big crime boss, this would be the part where I would say, >and never mess with Yoko again,= or something like that, but I think on a crime like that, she=ll supply her own punishment.@

Brad couldn=t help showing a small smirk as Dave went out the door.

*****

Later that evening, hours after the last class was over, and a special on the Travel Channel was over, Yoko was ready to go to bed.

The unexpected events of that morning, plus the usual classes left her feeling a little more worn out than usual, or maybe it was reliving that day in the parking garage. Recalling that event always seemed to drain her a bit. What she probably needed was a nice relaxing swim in the pool, but she would settle instead for a glass of water and going straight to bed.

She padded her way into the kitchen wearing a gray tank top and panty sleep set, with little white hearts printed on them. The cold ice water was good as it chilled its way down her throat. She received another chill as well on the outside, but she couldn=t put a finger on it. Casually looking around, she found what the problem was; the back door was opened just a little. She could see a sliver of the moon shining in the night sky.

The realization came to Yoko a second too late, as a large arm wrapped around her throat, while the other wrapped around her waist. Yoko=s training came instinctively as she squatted down and set herself, making it difficult for her attacker to pick her up, which he tried to do with little success. It didn=t stop him from talking though.

ALittle girl thinks she=s really something, running her little place, teaching everybody what she wants to teach. Well we=ll see how well you run things now, with B ahh!@ He whispered into her ear before he shouted in pain.

Yoko heard enough. The two finger shot to the groin wasn=t needed, but it shut him up quickly. She placed a hand on his wrist, and then applied a sudden twist of her hips, and the man, dressed in black with a matching ski mask, hit the kitchen floor hard. As she intended, he landed on his hip, hindering quick movement.

She was angry more than anything. How dare this man attack her in her house! This was a violation of the rules regarding challenges. As she prepared to twist his wrist into a more secure pinning position, she realized she still held the drinking glass in her other hand. Yoko quickly placed it on the counter, but the split-second=s distraction gave the man a chance to buck and wiggle free. But rather than renew his attack against an angry Yoko, he turned and ran B well, hobbled B out the back door and into the darkness. Yoko was prepared to run after him, but when she remembered what she was wearing, and realized she would be running outdoors in her underwear, she decided against it. In her present state of mind, there wouldn=t be very much functional on her attacker once she regained her hands on him. A small consolation was that he would have a large bruise on his hip that would hinder his mobility and make him stand out in a crowd. A small part wished she gave him something that would really stand out, like a broken arm.

Breaking bones and dislocating limbs had started to become easier for Yoko to administer over the years; not to her students, she would never hurt them, but to her challengers. For some reason, the incident in her old dojo, and the fact that she was now teaching classes had brought angry skeptics from under the woodwork. They were vicious, and for reasons real and imagined, desired to hurt her to prove their point, whatever that was.

She remembered her first challenger, a kung fu diva who practiced one of the more fearsome forms, bat, five animals, something like that. She assumed it would be harmless sparring until the kung fu woman delivered a blow that stung her arm, but would=ve caused significant damage if it hit the intended target. When the question was asked what the big deal was, she said her intention was to Aretire@ her. As for why, her answer was certain parties would covet her destruction, plus she would like to earn the title of being her destroyer. Before Yoko could ask who those parties were, she attacked again, in earnest. However she made the mistake that a nearly numb arm made Yoko helpless. Shortly after, as the kung fu woman limped out of her dojo, Yoko realized that things were again different, yet they seemed to be the same, as if that fateful day in her class set the tone for her life for then on.

Realizing that she was going to have contenders at her door, via way of the grapevine, Yoko delivered some ground rules. First, the challenges would take place outside of class, like before the day of classes started, after the day of classes were over, or on a Saturday. There was only one fool who arrived during a class to voice his challenge, and he ended up being taken out by one of the then-green belts. No one else had tried it since. Only one challenger per day; the contestants would have to Afight@ it out themselves which day it was. The challenges would end in knockout or submission. The last rule was that the match would be conducted in good sportsmanship, but since the bulk of the challengers wanted her head, she didn=t expect it to be followed.

Truthfully, Yoko liked doing a little sparring from time to time, but in all the challenges she received over the years, only a few of them were friendly. The first one was with a jiu-jitsu instructor who came by for some friendly sparring. After an hour of throws, locks, holds, and a lot of laughing, the two shook hands, and she invited him to stay over and watch her next class. He said the sparring confirmed what he suspected; she was as good as he had heard, even better. They became good friends, and from time to time, they would drop by each other=s dojo.

The other was a chin na practitioner who wanted to meet the Ainfamous@ instructor, and wanted to play around a little bit. The two women faced each other, waiting for the first move. After five minutes, both of them burst out laughing. Both of their arts were defensive in nature, and for one to make the first move would be contrary to how they operated. So they gave it up and went to dinner.

While they were eating, the chin na woman said there didn=t seem to be much difference between the two disciplines, except chin na is a little freer to do serious damage or death, while aikido was devoted to harmlessly deterring the attacker.

That=s the theory, Yoko joked.

The other woman then complemented her, telling her she did what she had to do to save others, and why were the other aikido studios mad at her? Yoko explained the popularity of her former instructor, and how they treated his word as gospel.

They=ll come around, the other woman replied.

True to what she said, some had, but not all. From time to time, the chin na woman drops by to see how her little Akillers@ (their private joke) were doing.

There was a saying she recalled regarding a samurai=s sword that said once the sword was pulled out, it could not be returned until it tasted blood. Had her skills come to that? Had it come to keeping her guard up so much, she can=t even go to the kitchen without expecting an attack?

Yoko shook her head from her line of thought, and examined the area where the intruder was lurking. Apparently the back door was picked open, and the attacker lay in wait until she was off guard. This wasn=t a challenge; this was an attack, plain and simple. It had to be deliberate, because no one in their right mind would break into the house of a known deadly martial artist. Burglars, rapists, and the like, hit easy marks, not people capable of crippling them with one blow or throw. Yes, this was an attack by someone who didn=t follow the rules, and wanted to seriously put her out of business.

If she didn=t let him escape, she could=ve found out some answers, but as incensed as she was, there may have been a good chance the intruder wouldn=t be able to be conscious, much less be in shape to answer questions.

AYoko, Yoko!@ A voice cried out from elsewhere in the house in accented English.

AIn here!@ Yoko yelled back. AI=m in the kitchen.@

A black woman with dark skin wearing a black T-shirt and boxer shorts ran into the kitchen. AAre you all right? I heard a noise like someone fell,@ she said.

Yoko relayed to her what happened.

AOh my, what are you going to do?@

Yoko yawned. ARight now, nothing, but go to bed; I=ll find out eventually, and then I=ll follow a plan of action. Besides, for the next few days, he won=t be running around too much or too fast. I threw him on his hip.@

AAh, so you-@

AThat=s right, I marked him.@

*****

The next day, as James looked over the records that Brad handed him, he saw his new client wasn=t kidding. They were messed up, like they were done by someone who flunked Accounting 101. But that was all right. James received a thrill out of straightening out other=s financial chaos. It was one of those things that only other accountants could understand. People thought accountants were strange enough without revealing that little tidbit to them.

He heard the buzzer from the front door, telling him a visitor came in, but he hoped it was someone Rachel, his receptionist could deal with. He was on the brink of a breakthrough here.

AOh go on in, I=m sure he=ll be glad to see you, especially after what you=ve done for him,@ he heard Rachel say. Who was she talking about?

He received his answer just as he narrowed it down. Yoko was dressed in a bulky grayish blue turtleneck sweater, navy blue leggings, and no shoes. His eyes were centered on that last thing when she greeted him.

AHi James,@ she said.

AHello. Aren=t you cold?@ James replied.

AWhy all this concern about me and the weather?@ Yoko asked, then she saw his eyes focused on her bare feet. AOh.@

AYes, shouldn=t you be wearing flip-flops or something?@

AI have a pair hiding around someplace, but I don=t take the time to look for them.@

ABut your feet, the ground, it=s cold and hard.@

AI=ve been practicing aikido for over twenty years, and I=ve been swimming even longer than that. Neither one requires shoes, and frankly, they just get in the way. Shoes are overrated anyway. It=s possible to live without them,@ Yoko explained.

AI can=t imagine doing that.@

AI=ve found I enjoy the pleasure the older I get. If God wanted our feet to be covered all the time, he=d make our feet look like wingtips,@ Yoko mused, laughing lightly. ABut that=s enough about me. I dropped by to check on you. Is everything okay?@

AAh yes. Your friend was not kidding about the books being messed up. It will take me a while to straighten them out. I hope whoever did these books beforehand is out of his employ.@

AThey are. I think it was some charlatan who had an ulterior motive. Your bruises healing nicely?@

AYes, thank you for asking. Some spots are a little tender, but I=m fine.@

The receptionist quickly poked her head in the office. AJames, I=m going to lunch. Do you want me to bring you back anything from the sub shop?@ She asked.

AYes Rachel, I=ll take a ham and cheese on rye, thanks,@ James replied.

ANo problem. Yoko, would you like anything? My treat.@

AWhy sure. I believe I=ll have a meatball sub with pepperjack cheese, and a sweet tea with lemon, please,@ Yoko answered.

AOkay, I=ll be right back,@ Rachel returned, then disappeared.

AShe=s friendly; I bet she=s a good worker too.@

AYes, I=d be lost without her. I might be anyway; as soon as she finishes her night classes, she=ll be marrying her fianc#,@ James said, wondering why his secretary offered Yoko lunch.

AReally? Sorry to hear that, good receptionists are hard to find. What was she attending school for, I mean what=s she majoring in?@

AParalegal.@

AI see. Yeah, you=re right, those books are messed up,@ Yoko remarked, peeking at the paperwork James had before him.

AYes they are. You know accounting?@

AA little; I do run my own business after all. Plus once upon a time, in a former life, I graduated school with plans of being an executive assistant, or secretary in other words. Then the >incident= happened, and some businesswoman tracked me down, and begged me to teach her aikido, offering me a big check equal to what I would have earned in a month doing secretarial work normally. And the rest as they say is history. But I was taught enough bookkeeping to keep things straight, and those records are not. But enough about me. I gave enough of my life story at the dojo the other day. What about you?@

AOh there=s not much to say about my life story. It=s kind of boring,@ James admitted.

Yoko perked up. AOh I love boring! Please tell me.@

AEr, uh, well I was born to a loving mother and father, I ran cross country in high school and college, and I always wanted to be an accountant, so I got my degree, worked under a big firm, then set out on my own, and here we are. That=s it.@

ABeautiful,@ Yoko cooed. AMy story was similar to yours, except for swimming and aikido. I sometimes look back to those days.@

AHave you ever thought of pursuing that still, the secretary thing, that is?@

Yoko sighed. ARight now, I couldn=t, even if I wanted to. I enjoy teaching too much.@

Rachel returned with the sandwiches and Yoko=s tea. AYoko, I wanted to thank you for saving James,@ she said. A I was worried sick that something happened to him. If you need any favors, let me know. Okay, now I=m off to lunch. Fred should be expecting me.@

AThank you,@ Yoko said as Rachel took off.

They unwrapped their sandwiches. Yoko took a bite of hers and savored it. AJames, you ought to come by the dojo sometime,@ she said as she prepared to take another bite.

AI don=t think I have the time to take up a martial art,@ James replied.

AOh no, not a >take lessons= type of visit, but a >hey, I just happened to be in the neighborhood= type of visit. That is, if I still don=t scare you to death,@ she smiled.

AOh I=m sorry, it was just that the subject of conversation was a little unnerving, that=s all.@

AI imagine it can be. I made peace with God about it a long time ago. It=s not something I would wish on people. Frankly I would be concerned if you didn=t have a problem with it. Now about that visit. I=m going to that meeting tonight, so how about tomorrow evening?@

ACould I have a chance to think about it?@ James protested.

AYou can; just remember, I=m going to keep nagging you about it, until you say yes, or you sic the police on me. But I have some pull with them, so it won=t do you any good.@

ABut I have these books to straighten out,@ James said, holding up the papers.

AI know Brad is realistic enough to know it=s going to take you at least a week to make sense out of that mess. A day or two over won=t hurt things any. Next?@

AOkay, I=ll come after dinner tomorrow. Happy?@

AElated. Eight o=clock should do it,@ Yoko replied in triumph. AYou can bring your swim trunks-@

AI don=t swim.@

AOh pity. Well I have a few errands to run before I have to return to the dojo, so I have to run.@ Yoko wiped her mouth with a napkin and threw her trash away, except for the remainder of her tea that she took with her. AThank Rachel again for me, and I=ll see you tomorrow evening.@

James watched her leave. She seemed like a pretty nice person when she wasn=t talking about killing people, he thought. Now before Yoko arrived, one of the sections was starting to make sense. After he finished it out, he raised his fists in triumph. He chuckled to himself and went to work on the next section.

It was an accountant thing. Mere mortals wouldn=t understand.

*****

Meeting new people was always an exciting experience, but for Yoko, this was something different. She had been used to sharing her experiences at seminars on self-defense, a few martial arts festivals, and every now and then, a women=s group, where she had to explain what she did was more about survival, and not making a statement against the oppressive male species. No, this time, she was meeting other women like her, who had to shed blood for the greater good.

She remembered Autumn telling her that these women were not homicidal maniacs, but normal women who happened to be well-skilled in a marital art. That made sense; she was only a brown belt when the gang attacked her, and a green belt in some disciplines was more than enough to cause major damage. Of course, save for a solider in war, the odds of being in an encounter where deadly force was needed were pretty high.

And I was privileged enough to break the odds twice, Yoko quipped to herself.

In the end, Yoko just had to admit that she had no idea what to expect, and just relax and be herself. She had to; she walked a little too far from her truck to go back and pick up her shoes.

She glanced at her watch. Only five minutes late. She wondered if she gave herself enough time when she left. Maybe I should=ve brought my sister with me, she thought. No, somebody had to mind the store back home. Her advanced black belt class can carry on without her. Yoko knocked on the door, then mentally kicked herself for not seeing the doorbell glowing red in the night.

The woman who opened the door struck Yoko as interesting, not someone she=d expect to be lethal to a fly, much less a human being. She stood between 5'6" and 5'7", with a slim build. Her straight black hair dangled to the nape of her neck with bangs. She wore round wire rim glasses, giving her a studious look that probably would have been evident without them. What interested Yoko the most was the complexion behind the glasses. She had the classic almond shaped eyes of Asian descent, but some of her facial features and light brown skin tone indicated some black blood as well, perhaps blended parentage. As for attire, Yoko needn=t had been concerned. Her host wore a sleeveless white blouse, gray casual slacks, and barefoot. In fact, she smiled when she saw Yoko was shoeless.

AUh, hi,@ Yoko said.

AAre you Yoko?@ The host said.

AYes.@

AI=m so happy to see you,@ she continued, giving Yoko a warm hug. The hug had more strength than her build would have suggested, but then again, this was a body crafted by aikido and tai chi; soft, but hard, like iron wrapped in velvet. AI=m Cyndy, with two >y=s,= and welcome to our little group.@

Yoko expected something like what would be seen in a standard support group: metal folding chairs set in a circle. Instead, she saw women lounging on the floor in the beginnings of an UNO game. There were others seated at a table drinking soft drinks and talking about their day, or they were. Everyone stopped when Yoko entered the house.

The last time Yoko received so many hugs and warm introductions was at a special church service. She felt more like the prodical son coming home than a stranger meeting for the first time.

AIt=s good to meet all of you, really, but I am curious about how you, eh, got here,@ Yoko said.

AIn other words, you=re wondering who we had to kill to get here,@ Cyndy replied, interpreting.

AWell yes. I didn=t want to be too blunt.@

AOh you don=t have to worry about that. None of us are professional hitwomen, and it=s not like we plan on doing it again anytime soon . . . as far as I know.@

The other women laughed at Cyndy=s remark. Yoko couldn=t help but grin. It was refreshing to see that this group didn=t take themselves morbidly.

ATell you what, I=ll start off with some of our >heavy hitters,= or major offenders, then I=ll introduce you to our ladies who are only >mildly lethal.= Autumn, with the super kung fu punch that took a homicidal mugger out of this world, you already met; she=s also one of my spokes people for this group.@

Autumn, who was decked out in a hooded sweatshirt done in a black and white checkerboard pattern, black sweat pants, and purple slouch socks, smiled as she sat back holding her UNO cards. AI=m glad you could make it, Yoko,@ she said.

AThank you, I=m glad I could too,@ Yoko replied.

Cyndy then directed Yoko=s attention to a petite woman who was two inches shorter than Yoko=s 5'4". She had the olive skin of a Mediterranean, and long black wavy hair. She sat at the table sipping a bottled water. It appeared to Yoko that this woman arrived there directly from the office, because she still wore her work clothes. They consisted of a long sleeve black shirt, khaki, brown and black herringbone slacks, and black hose. Her black blazer and black loafers lay discarded in a chair near the one corner of the room.

AAnd this is Yamit,@ Cyndy continued. ADon=t let her petite stature fool you. She took out a gang of kidnappers. You may have heard about it on the news some time ago.@

ADidn=t you set the leader=s hair on fire?@ Yoko asked.

Yamit laughed softly before she spoke, revealing her Middle Eastern accent. AYes. It=s funny that I killed three men with my bare hands, but people remember that I set fire to the man=s scalp. If the police were a few minutes later, I would have finished him off.@

Yoko was going to say something, but Cyndy cut her off. AI know you have questions already, but hold off on them just a little bit longer. There=s a few more ladies I want to introduce to you, then you=re on your own. Here=s three women with the UNO group; their names are in order: Loretta, Jane, and Aya. You might have heard of the first one.@

Yoko saw in order a 5'4" woman of mixed ancestry (classic black and white, it looked like), a 5'5" woman of Asian persuasion with short hair and a stocky build like a wrestler, and a 5'6" Asian-American with a slimmer build and longer hair. All three wore blue sweatshirts with their college logo, straight leg blue jeans, and barefoot. Yoko concluded they must be best friends, who else wears the same outfit to a function like this? She waved to all three before realizing she recognized the first one, Loretta, before.

AAh, you recognize Loretta,@ Cyndy said. AShe=s the one who took out the leading members of the Sharks during an assassination attempt. Jane here took out two other Sharks, and Aya took care of the rest.@

ALong story,@ Jane said.

AI must confess, Loretta, I saw you in action on the Internet,@ Yoko said.

AThat=s all right, I saw you too,@ Loretta replied with a smile.

AAnd here=s one more,@ Cyndy continued. AIt may be a cliche to say this is a woman who needs no introduction, but unless you=ve lived in a cave, this woman singlehandedly saved her school from terrorists using only her hapikdo skills. She=s not a heavy hitter in that she killed anyone, which she didn=t, but-@

ALinda Kim!@ Yoko exclaimed.

The 5'2" brunette with shoulder length brown hair and a medium build, lounged on the sofa. She was dressed in an oversized beige sweater, brown stirrup pants, and shiny brown hose. AHello Yoko,@ she said.

AWe need to talk.@

AYes, our situations have much in common.@

AAnd of course we have many others here, but you=ll have the chance to meet them. Many of them are our >minor offenders,= who came close to killing someone, but not quite. Anyway, I=ll let you get started,@ Cyndy said.

A muscular 5'8" black woman spoke up. ASo you introduced Yoko to all the famous women and left the rest of us to fend for ourselves? Yeah, I see how you are now; as long as I=ve known you, you won=t introduce me.@

AOr her own sister,@ an Asian-American woman similarly built added.

AOr her best friend,@ a Hispanic woman of 5'6" with a similar sturdy build threw in.

Cyndy huffed with mock annoyance. AAll right. Yoko, in order, that=s Precious, best friend of my sister, Joanna, sitting next to her, and my best friend, Helen.@

Helen cleared her throat.

AWho was also my very first student and test subject for my brand of tai chi,@ she added. AI was getting to that.@

ANow she can go,@ Helen replied.

The group laughed, and Cyndy threw up her hands in mock desperation as she went into the kitchen to get Yoko a drink. Yoko then had to make the decision on whether to play UNO, sit at the table, or sit on the sofa and chat with Linda. That decision was made for her as three women came and escorted her to a separate room, where a TV was broadcasting a women=s sumo tournament. Yoko noticed that two out of the three were barefoot, while the third wore boots. Upon further inspection, the boots were actually thick socks with the jeans tucked in.

One of the women, a large six-foot redhead with twin braided ponytails similar to Yoko=s hairstyle, spoke first. AWe wanted to talk to you first. The last time a new person joined us, it wasn=t until the end of the evening before we talked to her.@

AI=m flattered,@ Yoko said. ANot that I mind, really, but is this a >no shoe= zone?@

AOh Cyndy hates shoes,@ a tall Asian American woman said. She was almost as tall as Heidi, and slim with long black hair. ACome to think of it, many of us do. So for those of us who are forced to wear them at work, we=re free to shed them at the door, or better yet, come in barefoot. That=s what most of us do.@

The sock wearer, a 5'6" Hispanic with long brown hair replied, AI=ve been a sock wearer longer than I=ve been a shoe wearer. I guess you could say my favorite shoes are socks.@

AThat=s very clever what you have on now,@ complimented Yoko. AI couldn=t tell for a moment. You ever try that at work?@

AOnly all the time.@

AI like you three already. So you know who I am, but who are you?@

AI=m Ann, one of the >heavy hitters= in the group,@ the Asian-American said.

AWhat happened?@

ASome street punks abducted my boyfriend, so I went after them. In the battle that followed, I killed the leader and one of his enforcers, plus I hospitalized those I hunted down.@

AHuh. Why did they take your boyfriend?@

AHe bought a lottery ticket.@

AAnd?@

AIt was the winning lottery ticket. My boyfriend, who never gambled in his life, bought a ticket just out of curiosity, and he won. Unfortunately, one of the punks was behind him when he did it, and memorized the number.@

AWow. So what discipline do you know?@

AThe same type of aikido you know.@

Yoko was a little taken aback by this, but went ahead and addressed the redhead. AAnd you are - oh, I like your hair by the way,@ she said.

AMy name is Heidi, and I=m a professional sumo wrestler. In fact, I just made professional rank last month.@

ACongratulations. My sister is a sumo wrestler. I don=t think she has very far to go before she earns her professional ranking.@

ACool. My crime was beating three people to a pulp.@

AWas there a boy involved?@

Heidi grinned. AYou know it, but it wasn=t what you think. And sumo is all I know, which is dangerous enough.@

AI know; some of those throws would stun an average person. And last, but not least, we have . . .@

AMy name is Jamie, otherwise know as the >Iron Pacifist,=@ she said.

AThe >Iron Pacifist?=@

AYeah, my exboyfriend gave me that title. You know when they taught you an aikido hold in class, and they stress how you=re supposed to maintain it until they comply?@

AYes.@

AWell, I get kind of carried away.@

ACarried away?@

AYeah, we=re talking about throwing robbers into plate glass windows, breaking the legs of tough guys,@ Heidi added.

AAnd giving my exboyfriend a sprained arm,@ Jamie finished. AOne day he barged into my place drunk, demanding for me to lie down and >take my medicine.= The sprain sobered him up.@

AAnd you practice aikido too,@ Yoko said.

Jamie nodded.

AI=m beginning to feel bad; we=re supposed to have the less aggressive, >peaceful= art, and we have all these lethal women.@

AYamit knows krav maga,@ Heidi offered, Athat=s supposed to be lethal.@

AWe do have those representing the standard karate, kung fu, and judo, but we do seem to have quite a number of aikidoists,@ Ann remarked. AAs for myself, I acted to protect the man I love, I offer no apologies for that.@

ANo need to explain yourself to me,@ Yoko said. AI understand completely.@

At that time, a group of four women entered the room. AOkay, it=s our turn with Yoko,@ Yamit said.

AYour turn?@ Jamie replied. AWe barely introduced ourselves.@

AWell we wanted to see her before the sumo wrestlers did.@

AHello?@ Heidi said, waving her hand.

AI meant the two who tracked down a couple of child molesters, and beat them within an inch of their lives.@

AReally?@ Yoko said.

AYes; it=s not for the faint-hearted, and I killed three men and set the leader=s hair on fire.@

ABesides, our story is in three parts, so it takes some time to hear it,@ Loretta said.

AAll right, you can have her, but we want her back,@ Ann said with a good hearted grin.

ACertainly; your story has the makings of an action movie,@ Yamit remarked, Awhile mine sounds like I had PMS.@

That drew a laugh from everyone. ANow that=s a scary thought,@ Heidi joked.

It turned out as the Anew girl,@ Yoko was passed around to everyone. It made her feel like part celebrity, and part comrade-in-arms. There was one woman in particular that Yoko wanted to talk to, and near the later part of the meeting she finally got her chance. Linda Kim came to her and said, ALet=s go out on the deck.@

The deck was closed in, and had a space heater running, so it was toasty warm when both women entered it.

AI=ve been wanting to talk to you for some time,@ Yoko said.

ASame here. I learned whenever a new woman joins us to just wait my turn until everyone is finished,@ Linda replied. AAnyway, since I first heard of your plight, I=ve always wanted to, I don=t know, talk and compare notes; especially now, since I went through my ordeal.@

[Linda Kim=s Aordeal@ can be found in Rewriting the Script, located in my bookshelf - Mongoose.]

AWith all due respect to the others, including myself, I don=t believe you belong here. I mean-@

AOh, I do belong here, Yoko, I really do.@

ABut you didn=t use excessive force to stop those terrorists, including that former student of yours,@ Yoko argued.

AI wanted to smash his face.@

AI guess so, considering what the little twirp had done.@

ANo, I was going to send my fist - my last punch before Ann, the school counselor stopped me - at least halfway through his skull. My intention was to keep going until I felt carpet.@

Yoko was stunned.

AYou see, I already punched him once, breaking his nose and I think a cheekbone. I threw him to the floor, dislocating his gun arm. Then I punched his face again, probably giving him a near concussion when his head hit the floor. He tried to reach for his gun, and I kicked him in the forehead. I landed on his chest with my left knee, cracking a rib, I=m sure, and moved his chin into position with my left, so I could deliver a palm heel blow with my right. Of course we know that blows like that to the nose doesn=t kill anyone, that=s a martial arts urban myth, but smashing everything I would=ve hit on my way down would have done the job.@

Yoko glanced at Linda=s hands. ACould you have done that?@ She asked.

Linda raised them up and glanced at them herself. AI can break boards, Yoko; a flesh and blood face couldn=t stop me.@

Yoko nodded. ASo you actually had him subdued with the wristlock. The first punch might have been necessary, but unlikely,@ she said.

Linda gave a grim grin. ANow you understand.@

ABut I remember seeing the story on TV and in the newspaper; they went into detail.@

Linda shook her head. ANo they didn=t. They thought they did. They didn=t know.@ She turned to Yoko. AYou didn=t know either, but how could you? The media gave the sanitized version of the story: terrorists attack a school, and one teacher risking life and limb, using only her martial arts skills, foils the villains and saves the day. All is well, and everyone lived happily ever after. At least those who lived.

AThe majority of the general public believe that I did what I needed to. Even the high school counselor, who=s only foray into the martial arts was Cardio Kickboxing, believes the same thing. But those belonging to the martial arts community know how far I almost went.@

AI should have known better,@ Yoko remarked, as she leaned on the rail to see the night sky. AAll throughout my ordeal, the reporters would keep saying, >Aikido is a martial art where the goal is to make peace with your opponent.= I would wave my arms and say, >Hello, there were five bodies on the mat; I wasn=t making peace with them.= So what do you think got you to that point where you wanted to punch a hole through the kid=s face? What was his name?@

AJerry Carter. He was a good student in my creative writing class, but he dipped too heavily into the dark side, to use a Star Wars term. At first I wanted to just subdue them. Even when I encountered the first one who came after me with a shotgun, I just wanted to deter them. The turning point I believe was when I went to encounter Lorraine, his girlfriend, at the cafeteria.@

AHis girlfriend? You know her?@

ANo; she was a chicken hawk who likes assaulting people. She was thirty at the time, but she knew Jerry since he was a freshman in the biblical sense. She took swipes at me with a large Bowie knife while she told me this. Suddenly there were gunshots in the background, and she gloated about it. Something snapped, I nearly kicked her head off, and I left her to the mercy of the students. From then on, I was out for blood, and that=s when the bone breaking started.@

AWow. How are things at the school now?@

AThe faculty holds me in their debt, and the students respect me. Of course having a reputation as a teacher who can kick butt literally goes a long way. I teach an after-school hapkido class, and that=s going pretty well. Oh every now and then, there would be a parent who would want to get rid of me for some reason, but at the school board meeting, some dad or mom would stand up and say, >she saved my boy,= or >my little girl wouldn=t be here if it wasn=t for her,= and so on. The principal himself said they would have to get rid of him first before they fire me. So I guess I=m untouchable at this point.@

AWhy would anyone want to get rid of you?@

AI don=t know; some think I=m >too violent.= I=m a creative writing teacher, I don=t have time to be violent.@

AI have one question that=s been nagging me; no, two questions. Did you really get a year=s supply of pantyhose, and is it truly run resistant?@ Yoko asked.

Linda laughed. AYes to both questions. My slip on ballet flats are the shoes I normally wear. They=re comfortable, and as one who likes keeping her feet close to the ground, you can understand the rest,@ she said, looking at Yoko=s bare feet. AAnyway, one of my shoes had a hole near the toe, so I took them off. Then the terrorists came, and you know the rest. I made an offhand remark about my stockings being runproof, and somebody from the company rewarded me for >demonstrating= how durable they were during a moment of crisis. I received all kinds in my size. And yes, they are runproof. When I talked to them and told them they still held, I received another large supply.@

Yoko looked skeptical. ACome on, no runs at all?@

Linda planted one hosed foot on the rail. AYou see these knee-highs? I came all the way from my house to here. No runs so far,@ she said.

AThey=re pretty safe inside those slippers.@

AI didn=t wear shoes.@

AYou came up here in your stocking feet?@

AYeah, see?@ Linda shown the bottom of her foot, slightly darkened from walking on the ground unshod. AShort of going to work, I do almost everything in my stocking feet now, and the kids always want me to teach without shoes, so I oblige them. Meanwhile, the girls wear ballet slippers to school now, and slip them off when they sit down.@

ASo you started a fashion trend,@ Yoko said, AAnd I need to buy some of those hose.@

Putting her foot down, Linda said, AThat=s enough about me, so tell me about your story, other than what I saw on video.@

ASimply put, it was an accident, sort of. Another student was assaulted not far from me, and it deflected my attention just enough to grab the guy in the wrong place and throw him the wrong way. By the time the others attacked me, I was on automatic. My only thoughts were to defend the dojo and defend myself. I wasn=t thinking about technique,@ Yoko explained.

AYou don=t need to, your moves were fluid. Did you know your aikido had fatal implications to it?@

AAll I knew was I was going to graduate business school with dreams of being a secretary, I was a brown belt, and I knew I could handle myself if I was in a fight. What I didn=t know was outside, your attacker will not always want to comply with you; nor of the thousands of combinations of the handful of techniques, a few of them can kill or cripple, and people generally don=t know how to break fall.@

ABreak fall, eh?@ Linda replied.

AWhen skeptics see our demonstrations, and talk about how fake it is, they don=t realize there=s a reason the receivers throw themselves to the ground like that.@

AYou=re preaching to the choir on that one. When kids ask me why they need to learn how to fall, I tell them so they=ll be able to make it to class tomorrow. They realize later that the reason their bones are not broken or worse was because of break falls.@

AAside from that, the town loves me, my former sensei is disappointed in me, and my classes are going well.@

AYeah, I was told about your sensei. I don=t get it. My sensei supported me, never mind the fact that he is my stepdad. Regardless, despite my lack of restraint, I was supported.@

AOh, but your sensei is not the guru of passive resistance like my former teacher is. At least my current sensei understood.@

AThese thugs tried to kill you; he can=t expect you to-@

AI know, I know, I know,@ Yoko said, holding up a hand. AOur final falling out was when I asked if he=d rather have us lying dead instead of the thugs. When he said nothing, I grabbed my things and left. The scary thing was a quarter of the class, along with a few other teachers agreed with him.@

AWhat about the rest of the gang? I can=t believe they didn=t plan for revenge.@ Linda looked at Yoko. AThere=s more, isn=t there?@

Making sure the door was closed, and no one was eavesdropping, Yoko told her story of the second and final battle with the Scorpions. Linda just nodded.

ANow what I told you is only known to two retired policemen, two of my core students, and my sister. If that becomes public knowledge-@

ADon=t worry, my lips are sealed,@ Linda said. ABesides, I would=ve done the same thing.@

AReally?@

AYoko, after the crisis at school, I took some time to take a little vacation alone, to clear my head, and to discover a few things. One of them was I would=ve killed Jerry, former student or not; two, if I had more time, I would=ve done the same to Lorraine and the other attackers after her; and three, if I found myself in a similar situation like that again, I would not fail to use lethal force.@

AThen I guess if they know what=s good for them, terrorists better not invade your school again,@ Yoko quipped.

AI found out in martial arts, lethal force is like the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room that no one wants to talk about. Once you=re past beginner status, you start to see it, but you learn not to talk about it, lest you=re considered bloodthirsty. At least it=s good to be with other women who are aware of it and have embraced that reality,@ Linda said.

AThe two of us have some pretty grisly tales, eh?@

Linda smiled as she took a sip of her drink. AOh, this is nothing,@ she added.

ANothing? Not to blow any horns here, but besides taking down gangs, terrorists, kidnappers, and serial rapists/killers, what else is there?@

AFirst off, not all of us are here.@

AThere=s more of us?@

AYes. Cyndy could be a professional scout; she has a talent for sniffing out women like us. Let me give you two stories.

AOne of them involves a forty-eight-year-old widowed grandmother. She=s about as big as Heidi, and about as fit. She looks years younger. She used to participate in sport judo when she was younger, and she still practices judo now. Oh, and she loves her grandchildren.

AOne day her son and daughter-in-law were having a late night out, so Magda - that=s her name - was more than happy to watch the two kids, a boy and girl.

AThat night, four people, three men, one woman, broke into her house. These people, the three men anyway already had a reputation for breaking into homes, robbing the owners, and raping the lady or ladies of the house, abusing the kids, and making the man of the house watch. So they came in, started sacking the place, and found that two kids were there. Before they went to the bedrooms, Magda appeared, dressed in a white T-shirt and panties. They told her what they planned to do to her, and lied that the grandchildren would not be harmed if she complied. Magda responded in no uncertain terms that no one touched her grandkids.@

AWere they armed?@ Yoko asked.

AYes they were. We asked her the same question, and her response was, >so?= The woman in the group saw her intent, and excused herself. She even left her loot behind. Magda grabbed the first man, breaking his wrist of his gun hand, then throwing him into one of the other men. Then she grabbed the other man and threw him down, either breaking his neck or his head, one of the two. Either way, he was dead. Kicking the injured man out of the way, she grabbed the other man, and delivered a lapel choke, along with a couple of head butts to soften him up. After she finished with him, she gave the last man two over the shoulder throws, then laid down and gave him a headlock that she switched to a rear naked choke. As he died, she told him that no one messed with her family, especially her >grand babies.= She soon called the police and asked them to >take out the trash.=@

AWow.@

AOh, there=s more,@ Linda continued. ABy some way of legal mumbo-jumbo I don=t understand, that woman charged Magda with using excessive force. Magda told the authorities she had no problem going to court.@

ADid they have a case?@ Yoko asked.

AAre you kidding? There was hardly a court around that dared to take it, and if they did, where would they find a jury or lawyer who would prosecute a >poor, helpless grandmother who was only trying to defend her grandchildren.=@

AHelpless?@ Yoko laughed.

AYoko, I saw this woman. Even our larger sumo wrestlers stood aside when she arrived. Needless to say, after they finally held court, she was found innocent. Then, in front of witnesses, the court, jury, and everybody, she pointed a finger to the woman and told her the next time their paths would cross, she will kill her for allowing those men to come and threaten her grand babies. The woman fainted. When she recovered, she fled town.@

AThis Magda reminds me of a mother bear defending her cubs.@

AThat=s about right. The next story is more bizarre than that.@

AThat last one was hard to beat. Can we sit down?@

AYou could, but you might not want to after I=m finished.@

Yoko had a puzzled look on her face. AWhat do you mean?@

AI know the teacher in me will show while I=m saying this, but have you heard of the short story, The Most Dangerous Game?@

AYes I have. I have yet to see a decent movie that gave the story justice.@

AAnd there=s been so many too. Let me set this up for you. Our heroine, Rachel, lives out in a log cabin in the woods. She grows her own food, makes her own clothes, cuts wood, you know, the whole frontier woman thing. And before you ask, yes, she does have a normal career, and she does go out with friends. She also has electricity, running water, and satellite TV, so she=s not a total hermit. She just likes living in a cabin,@ Linda explained.

AShe sounds tough already. How is she built?@ Yoko asked.

AIf she=s not six feet, she=s close to it. Picture a light brown black woman, with a body that looks like it was sculpted from clay, with just enough body fat to keep the bodybuilders in our group from getting jealous. Can=t say the same for the sumo wrestlers though.@

AWhat martial art does she know?@

AA fair amount of almost every grappling art known to man. Besides freestyle and Greco-Roman, she also knows that Chinese style of wrestling, I forgot the name . . .@

AShuai Chiao?@

AThat=s it! Jane knows it too, I should=ve remembered that; chin na, judo, jiu-jitsu - both types, and a few others. She leaves the cabin to practice with people who know these arts. She doesn=t know any aikido yet, but with such a large group of practitioners here, it=s only a matter of time. She=s now a sumo wrestler. When she arrived, the sumo wrestlers practically begged her to compete. But I digress.@

AYeah; tell me about the bad guys,@ Yoko urged as she sat down.

AOkay; three red necks, career criminals with a wide range of offenses invaded the cabin, and held Rachel at gunpoint, far away, and ordered her out of the cabin. She thought they looked like they were going to rape her, but they seemed to have changed their mind. She couldn=t figure it out, but we knew why.@

APretty buff, huh?@

AShe=s attractive too, but even these dumb hicks knew better than to mess with her. Anyway, they gave her a ten-minute head start, then they were going to hunt her down. So Rachel, naked, ran through the woods. What they didn=t think about though that Rachel knew those woods like the back of her hand, and she was not very happy.

ALet=s see, the first one she mildly disabled by caving in his chest, but miraculously he lived. The second one she dislocated both arms, a leg, and would=ve done more damage if she didn=t hear the third one coming.

AThe last one, the ringleader, she squared off with in a pit. He was armed with a knife, but he wasn=t moving too fast because of the two throws she gave him earlier. His pants were caked with mud, so he took them off.@

AThat makes for an interesting picture. A good ole= boy in his BVD=s fighting a naked woman,@ Yoko remarked.

AHe also had on a white T-shirt. The temperature was in the fifties, so it was cool whether you were wearing underwear or not,@ Linda continued. AIf this was a movie, I could say it was a hard fought battle, but it wasn=t even close. She disarmed him and threw him down hard again. But she wasn=t finished yet. She grabbed him and draped him back first over one knee, with her left arm looped around his neck; and she had problems trying to hold on to him with the other hand, him being covered in mud and all. So she did this.@

Linda made an upward motion with her right arm, the fingers of her hand fully extended. Yoko, who was sitting comfortably, suddenly sat up gingerly.

AShe didn=t,@ she said.

AOh yes she did; poked right through his briefs and uh, went right on in. He was like a bug stabbed by a pin, to use her words.@

AEww!@ Yoko exclaimed.

AYeah. So she powered down and broke his neck. And that=s when the police shown up. They already found and rushed the other two men to a hospital. They were hot on their trail. Not hot enough, I guess. When Rachel saw them, she stood up, letting this guy slide off her, well you know, and held up her hands.@

ADid the body make a popping sound when it slid off?@

ADag, I don=t know! It took me this long to be able to be able to tell the story. For sound effects, you=ll have to ask her. All three had a bounty on them, so she at least got something out of it other than exercise.@

AAnd exposure,@ Yoko added.

AOh, and despite the fact we=re allowed to be comfortable at Cyndy=s house, she=s the only one who could pose a problem with that,@ Linda said.

AWhy=s that?@

AWell she likes to go barefoot.@

AOkay.@

AFrom the neck down.@

Yoko=s eyes widened. AYou mean she runs around nude?@ She asked.

AHey, why else would you have a cabin in the woods? If that was the case with me, I might be tempted to do that - after I put electric barb wire around the yard.@

AWell Linda, you=re right; those two stories beat ours out. At least we didn=t have to worry about getting a draft.@

They laughed.

Cyndy and Helen appeared on the deck. They both smiled warmly when they saw that the Anew kid@ had fit in well.

AAh, there you are,@ Cyndy said. AOne of the girls challenged you to a game of UNO.@

AThat=s great, but I don=t feel like sitting down right now,@ Yoko replied.

Helen looked at Linda. AYou told her about Rachel, didn=t you?@ She asked.

Linda nodded. AIt just came out.@

AThat is a bad choice of words, Linda,@ Cyndy scolded.

Linda put her hands to her mouth and giggled. ASorry!@

ATrying to scare off our guest, and this is her first time here. That reminds me; Yoko, many were wondering how soon you could come back.@

ACome back? I haven=t even left yet,@ Yoko joked.

AWell everyone wants to talk to you some more, and they want to do it next time if they don=t get the chance tonight.@

AI=d like to come back for the next meeting. As for tonight, I would be more than happy to chat with everybody; I have plenty of time to kill. Uh, that was a bad choice of words, wasn=t it?@

The other three women moaned and shook their heads.

AI think you=re going to give Cyndy some competition with the bad puns around here,@ Helen said. AAnyway, let=s come back in, the pizza=s here.@

As they came back in, Yoko caught everyone=s attention.

AI know this is short notice, me arriving for the first time and all, but you are all invited to a party at my house two days from tonight. I=ll be more than happy to give directions,@ she said.

AWill there be food?@ Cyndy asked.

AYes ma=am.@

AThen we=ll be there. We like to put it away. And I=m not even talking about the sumo wrestlers.@

AHey!@ Heidi objected.

****

That same evening, Dave sat in his apartment watching the DVD of Yoko=s battle against the Scorpions fifteen years earlier. He was stunned, to put it mildly. He also considered himself lucky he didn=t come within five feet of the woman when they took her. And at that time, she trashed four of his companions wearing handcuffs. As he winced when Yoko took out another man on the DVD, he shuddered to think how much more deadly she would=ve been with her hands free.

As he continued to watch, he wondered what those Scorpions were thinking. They walked into a place filled with so many potential Bruce Lees to demand protection money? The others may not have been as lethal as Yoko, but they clearly held their own.

On the DVD, Yoko encountered a man who had some nice moves with a blade. Had was definently the right word for it, as Yoko then engaged him in a hold that broke his arm and his neck at the same time. Was that even possible? Apparently it was, for the man fell to the floor with both joints twisted at unatural angles.

Brad gave me a copy of this DVD to scare me, Dave thought, and it was working. He will not face Yoko directly, nor even be alone in the same room with her. His coworkers won=t either; they told him that much, as well as refusing to be involved in any more of his wild ideas.

AMaybe we should tie you up and feed you to Yoko,@ the one who had the concussion said. AWe=ll see how well your forehead will bounce after she slams it against a table.@

AHave I known who we were going after, I would=ve kicked you instead of Yoko,@ the man Yoko sent into a wall said. AI heard about what she did to that gang. Are you trying to get us killed?@

AThat was fifteen years ago,@ Dave tried to argue.

AYeah, that really slowed her down too, huh! You idiot, people like that get better as they get older. You ever see those kung fu movies where you see this old dude who=s the master?@

AYeah.@

AYou ever notice nobody messes with him?@

AOh.@

AI think we learned our lesson here, >grasshopper!=@

The man with the broken arm just swore at him and called him names, none of them too kind, and the man who Yoko held in a neck lock seemed more polite at first.

AThank you for giving Yoko the keys when you did,@ he said.

AYou=re welcome,@ Dave replied.

ABecause if you didn=t, I would make sure to haunt you to the ends of the earth.@

ACome on, you don=t think that hold would really break your neck, would it?@

AMaybe you should try it. I know I=m an inch taller today because of that hold. If she really has any spoils from her battles, she=s welcome to them, I=m not going to mess with her. If you had any sense, you wouldn=t either. Now leave me alone.@

Dave was a little bit put off by their responses, but they=ll warm up eventually. If not, he had other friends to hang with.

The question of Yoko not having a stack of money from her challenges may be true, but after what happened the other day, it now became a matter of pride. Nobody makes a fool of him like that. But how could he get her back? As he looked at the aftermath in the dojo on the DVD, he knew it wouldn=t be a physical encounter, not by him, that=s for sure.

He saw Yoko=s teacher approach her on the DVD. AI fought them the best I could, teacher,@ he heard Yoko say.

AYoko, what have you done?@ He heard her teacher say.

She saved your butt, that=s what she did, Dave thought. He didn=t admit it to Brad, but he had heard of the Scorpions and their reign of terror before Yoko threw them around like so many broken toys. She was the reason for their demise, no doubt about that. He also heard about the gangs= final demise in the parking garage. Everyone assumed the Demons did it.

Dave had a friend who used to run with the Demons for a while until he decided to straighten up, and work downtown for a parking garage on the east end of town. He picked up a phone and called him.

ASo that=s why you haven=t called me all this time?@ Cody said after Dave asked the question about the incident in the other parking garage. AWe didn=t do it. We weren=t angels by any stretch of the imagination, but murder wasn=t what we did.@

ASo who did it?@ Dave replied.

AI don=t know, but we weren=t crazy about carrying on after that happened. The police started eyeing us, and we didn=t want to be nailed for something someone else did. They probably killed themselves; you know how power hungry they were. Why are you asking after all this time?@

AJust curious. Hey, you happen to know any people who know karate or something like that?@

AYou have a lot of strange questions for me today, don=t cha? I don=t mess around in the gang stuff, like I said, but - wait a minute, I do know somebody. Not personally, but she parks her car at the garage quite a bit. She=s a professional dominmatrix by the name of Kate, or to go by her professional name, Karate Killer Kate.@

AReally? Is she pretty good?@ Dave asked.

AHow would I know? I=m a married man now, with two kids. My wife would kill me. The only reason I even heard of her is from what people tell me, and what I see of her at the garage.@

AHow can I get her number?@

ALook her up in the phone book under, under whatever those people call themselves. Wait, I might know someone who has one of her business cards; I can ask him and call you back. You have a karate fetish now?@

AMe, no; I just have a special request for her,@ Dave replied.

AI=m not even going to ask. I will tell you that this woman loves her work, maybe a little too much,@ Cody said.

AHow=s that?@

AShe=s been know to put a few men in the hospital. I heard, but nobody will blow the whistle on her because of some contract they sign. And the crazy thing is her clientele increases each time she busts some guy up, go figure. All right, I will ask, what do you need her for?@

AJust to pay someone a visit.@

AI wouldn=t be surprised if she did house calls. Just be careful, she has those crazy eyes.

A'Crazy eyes?=@

AYeah, she looks you over like you=re a piece of meat, and she=s a hungry Rottweiler. Hey, I need to get back to work. I=ll call you when I get her number, and Dave?@

AYeah?@

ADon=t be a stranger. I=ll have you over for dinner sometime.@

After they said their goodbyes, and hung up, Dave sat back and grinned. Perhaps this Karate Killer Kate was the right person to defeat Yoko. That way, he would save face and take care of this air of mystery surrounding the aikido woman.

Meanwhile, he played the DVD again.

Better than anything playing on TV right now, he thought.

****

After she had taught aikido for a few years, long enough for her first students to receive their black belts, Yoko decided it was time to answer a question she had pondered for a few years. She had seen how the martial art was taught in the states from her two sensei and a few others. But how was it taught in its country of origin?

She surfed the Internet, and eventually ran across a woman instructor in Japan. She taught classes for several years, and being a woman, Yoko wouldn=t have to deal with any possible sexism. She was pleased when she found out the instructor spoke fluent english, and a little disappointed when she found out she saw that infamous clip of her fighting the Scorpions on the Internet. The Japanese sensei warmly invited Yoko to visit her dojo. Yoko made travel plans, arranged for her classes to be taught by some of her core students, and off she went to Japan.

Yoko had a general idea of Japanese culture, and her knowledge of the language was limited to aikido terminology. Just stick around her host, she thought, and it should be okay.

The teacher was only five years older than Yoko, and carried the same build. Her hair was short and spiked, and her skin was tanned. Yoko later discovered she went surfboarding quite a bit.

AIt=s quite an honor to be here,@ Yoko said.

AIt is an honor to have you visit my school,@ the teacher (Aiko) replied.

AAbout what you saw on the Internet, it=s not-@ Yoko attempted to explain, but Aiko waved her off.

ANo explanation is needed. You did what you had to do. Even the founder (Morihei Ueshiba, the inventor of aikido) said sometimes killing was necessary, and if so, it needed to be done quickly and cleanly.@

AI wish my first sensei understood that,@ Yoko sighed.

AWell if he doesn=t, forget him,@ Aiko laughed. AThe clip was useful for many of my classes. We had a few students who were starting to doubt aikido=s effectiveness. With the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, I keep hearing about how awesome Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is. When they saw the clip, they started thinking differently. I have no qualms about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or MMA, but that doesn=t mean we=re less effective.@

AI am glad it helped somebody.@

AA noble warrior takes no joy in his kills. If you had no remorse, your heart would be evil. Again, I am glad you are here.@

Teaching aikido in Japan, or the teaching of any martial art in that country, was quite different. For one thing, no one questioned the teacher=s authority. The general assumption was the sensei knew what he or she was talking about, no need to question it. Teaching was more of a Afollow the leader@ type model. The teacher would make a move, and the students would copy it. And where there was an explanation on how to perform a technique, no one, at least the beginning students, never asked why it worked, or how. The emphasis was placed on doing. Yoko also found out, to her sorrow, that the way aikido was taught in the states was diluted at best. After class, Yoko would ask Aiko about how a certain move was done.

AIt=s done this way because it flows better,@ Aiko said after one such question. AHow did your first sensei do it?@

After Yoko had shown her, she shook her head and commented, APerhaps your teacher should spend less time lecturing on the merits of peace, and more on teaching aikido.@

Aiko=s opinion of Sensei Williamson worsened as the week wore on, as Yoko revealed more of how he done things. Finally she told Yoko that day she fought that gang, as sad as it was, was also a day of liberation in terms of her technique. If Sensei Williamson spent more time teaching his students, giving them a stronger foundation, hardly any of the students would=ve been injured.

AI spent the majority of my time teaching my students the most basic techniques, until they are sick of hearing them,@ Aiko explained. AI drill it into their heads until they no longer think, they do it. And then I tell them again. By the time they advance in their learning, they have no question on what to do if for example, two attackers instead of one come upon them. You can=t teach practicality and idealism at the same time.@

ASo how was that day >liberating= to me? I don=t understand,@ asked Yoko.

AFirst, a gift,@ Aiko said, giving her a pair of zori sandals. AJapan is a country that has progressed much, but they still hang on to some traditions. Sadly, wearing shoes outdoors is one of them. The students were starting to ask questions. Just have them on when we go outside; once you=re inside, feel free.

AA martial art should be as natural to the person who wields it as breathing. A sankyo should come to you in a split second when the need arises. Your teacher-@

AFormer teacher,@ Yoko corrected.

AYes, former teacher was so concerned on spouting his ideology, he overlooked how well his students were doing. He pounded into their heads that they shouldn=t hurt anyone, while they weren=t sure how to defend themselves. You were attacked by someone with a knife, while a classmate was being beaten. You dismissed his ideology, and focused on the more immediate concern, saving your friend. That=s when you did what you were supposed to do.@

ASo what about me breaking that man=s neck?@

AWhat about it? You reached a little too far when you were distracted. I take no joy in his death, but it was either him or you. And you needed to save your classmates, who were also in peril. Your moves were as fluid as water. Even if your former sensei did not treat you badly, you would not stay with him long. You experienced a taste of reality.@

Yoko looked up at the sky. It was blue with clear skies. She had to use her hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight streaming through the windows of the dojo. She turned to Aiko.

AHave you ever had to use your skills?@ She asked.

AYes, twice,@ Aiko replied. AThe first time was when I was attacked by someone who wanted to be in the Yakuza.. I was waiting tables at the time. My shift was over, and I was walking to the bus stop. This man who I waited on a half hour before bragged to me of his ambition, and then demanded me to come with him. When I said no, he tried to backhand me. I caught his wrist, and the next thing I knew, he was on his back in a puddle. He rose slowly to his feet, and pulled out a knife. He made another move, and again he was on the ground, disarmed with a broken wrist. His two friends saw what happened and tried to grab me. I evaded their grasp, sent them to the ground, and I fled to the bus stop, just in time to catch the bus.@

Yoko nodded. AYour teacher taught you well on disarming weapons,@ she said.

ANo he didn=t.@

ANo?@

ANot yet; I had a while yet before I would be taught that.@

AWhat belt were you?@

AI was a green belt. The next day, I told my sensei what happened, and he was pleased. He was happy for my welfare, and that I used what he taught me.@

ABut you said your teacher didn=t teach you those things yet,@ Yoko said, confused.

AHe didn=t, yet he did. My sensei was a firm believer in learning the raw basics of aikido. He maintained if you knew at least the basic techniques, you could handle yourself in almost any situation. He taught us footwork, he taught us moving inside the attack and melding with it. One time he spent a week alone teaching us that last thing. Many of us received bruises from it. I know other aikido classes teach the same thing, but he was obsessive on it. When that man attacked, I don=t think I could stop myself from reacting.@

AYou have great respect for your sensei,@ Yoko remarked.

AIt=s been said even gangsters have great respect for him. They stand aside and greet him as he passes by. I think they would do the same if they knew he teaches his techniques to the local police,@ Aiko said.

AYou said there was a second time.@

AYes, I was a black belt by then. I was taught that the belt was merely a belt; your true rank was up here,@ Aiko pointed to her head, Aand here.@ She pointed to her heart. AI was shopping, and I remember I was wearing heels.@ Aiko saw Yoko visibly shiver. AYou really don=t like shoes, do you?@

AI can=t stand having anything on my feet, I don=t know why,@ Yoko replied.

AIt is rather ironic that in Japan, you could almost appear half naked, yet nobody would notice, but appear barefoot, and people will think you=re homeless,@ Aiko laughed. AYet you=re free to be shoeless inside, no matter how dirty the floors may be. Anyway, I was about to enter a store and buy a scarf before I attended my dinner engagement. Suddenly I saw a man being beaten by a thug. I yelled >stop,= and this large man turned and saw me. He barked, >What if I don=t?= I said, >Then I will stop you.= He laughed, and tried to attack me. I threw him against the wall of the store so hard, he needed medical attention. As for the victim, he only had a few bruises. Again the next day, I told my sensei, who said, >I had no doubt as to how you would react. You always knew your basics.= It was then that I decided I wanted to teach aikido.@

AI hope I can teach the art as effectively as you and your sensei,@ Yoko said.

ATomorrow, you=ll have your chance. Some of the students along with myself wondered how you taught the class back home. I want to give my classes to you the next two days.@

Later that evening, Yoko visited a toy store and bought a few items. She had to stress to the cashier that she was American, and her Japanese was poor at best. That was no problem once that was established. There was a teenage karate student stocking dolls who recognized her. Overhearing her conversation with the clerk, he rushed over.

AI know you!@ He cried. AYou aikido woman?@

AYes, I know aikido,@ Yoko said slowly.

ANo, you aikido woman on internet,@ he continued.

Yoko sighed. She knew what he meant now. AYes, I am,@ she said.

AI thought you looked familiar,@ the cashier said. AI started judo classes after I saw it.@

Yoko hastily explained why she came to Japan, and why she was in a toy store of all places. The two employees wouldn=t let her leave without her autograph.

Next time I travel, I=ll go someplace where aikido or myself isn=t so well known, she thought as she returned to where she was staying.

The next day, a few minutes before class was to begin, Yoko asked Aiko to pick out six students, men and women, various heights, sizes, and builds, and direct them to Aiko=s office. Aiko, a little confused, agreed.

Once the six men and women were assembled, Yoko handed them either a toy gun or knife. She then told them to pick out a particular student, and at a designated time, Aattack@ them. The students and Aiko smiled at the idea. As an afterthought, Yoko loaded each one of the toy guns with rubber darts. She had them tuck them in their gi=s, and they left the office like nothing had happened.

While Yoko was explaining a particular point, a man, tall and lanky, pulled out his gun and held up a slim, delicate looking woman an inch and a half over Yoko=s height. The woman expressed surprise for just a split second, then disarmed and threw her attacker, sending the gun flying, while the dart hit someone in the forehead. The woman yelled something at the man, which Yoko later found out translated to: AHow dare you pull a weapon on me, I=ll make you pay!@ The man, who was surprised by the woman=s savage attack, did not break fall and laid there stunned until his eyes widened in fear as the woman prepared to deliver an overhand chop.

ASho Lin, stop!@ Aiko barked.

The woman froze in mid-chop, and stood to attention.

AYou have disarmed him, no need to kill him,@ Aiko continued with a smirk.

Aiko prepared to tell the man to rise, but he already jumped to his feet, and stood behind the white belts, despite the fact he was a brown belt. Yoko continued to teach like nothing had happened. Aiko told her later that she suspected the man had a crush on Sho Lin for some time. Yoko joked that Sho Lin may have cured him of that.

The class, already confused by the first man=s actions, was thoroughly stunned when the second attacker, a tall woman, came up to a man and held the toy blade to his neck. When he broke free, she chastised him, saying, AYou=re already dead, idiot! You=re supposed to turn away from the knife, not toward it!@

The class caught on at this point, and was anxious to see who the next Avictim@ and Aattacker@ would be. One of them, an amateur female middleweight sumo wrestler, ended up chasing her attacker off the dojo into one of the changing rooms. Yoko had to tell her to halt, because Aiko was laughing too hard. The biggest laugh came when a female attacker held her victim, a skinny man with big glasses at gunpoint. The man reacted by reaching into an imaginary back pocket, and handing her an imaginary wallet. The woman looked at her teachers with a look that said, AWhat do I do now?@

ATake the money and run!@ Laughed Aiko.

The woman took the pretend wallet and trotted away.

AWhy did you do this?@ Yoko asked him.

AIt is only money. I can make more,@ he explained.

Yoko admonished him on his wisdom, and explained that the faux attacks were a test to see how ready they were. She also told them that most of them had a good foundation, and she won=t have that test again. However on the last point, she lied, and had the attacks happen the next day.

On the last day, Aiko invited Yoko to go surfing with her and her fianc#. Yoko could barely contain her excitement.

AWhy didn=t you tell me you had a fiance?@ Yoko asked.

AI did,@ Aiko said slyly.

AYou did? When?@

AWhen I told you about that day I went shopping.@

AShopping? You mean the man you saved?@

AYes. He=s a high school teacher. The man I saved him from was someone who needed money to indulge his gambling habit.@

The day was fun. Yoko found she=d rather swim through the water instead of surfing on top of it with a board. After they took a break, Yoko told Aiko about the challenges she received at her dojo.

AYou are in good company. In an earlier time, one dojo would challenge another on a regular basis to see who had the better fighters or martial art, or whatever. Even O=Sensei received challenges on a regular basis. Even though these fights were not to the death like they were a century before, they were still rather fierce. O=Sensei never lost, by the way. Your teachers never told you this?@

Yoko shook her head.

AYou had not spent much time with your current sensei to hear it, but regarding your previous sensei, I am not surprised. He teaches the Founder=s philosophy without knowing the Founder himself. That is foolishness. You may not believe me now, Yoko, but in time you will be a greater teacher than he is.

Yoko sat there stunned.

AYou already expound on the essential groundwork your students need to know. Teaching the peaceful aspects of our martial art is fine and important, but aikido is first and foremost a martial art. If one cannot defend themselves with it, what is the point?@

Yoko studied the sand between her toes. AI don=t know what to say,@ she said.

AThen say nothing. Teach the way you=re doing now and you=ll be fine. I=m going to surf some more, lest my love thinks we=re talking about him,@ Aiko finished as she trotted back out to meet the waves.

Yoko stared at the two splashing around in the water as she pondered what Aiko said. It was the goal of every teacher to be as good if not better than the teacher who taught them. The fact that Sensei Williamson=s teachings were a little flawed to begin with wasn=t very comforting. There was something about aikido that was fun to her, and it came in handy when she was in trouble. The lectures on peace she listened to, but didn=t take to heart. She never planned on attacking anyone, nor create any waves; she just wanted to learn aikido, do the techniques, and go home. Now that she thought of it, her old sensei did tend to lecture too much at times.

Since she put a stronger point on teaching self-defense, Yoko lectured as little as possible, plus she started following what her second sensei taught her. But she still wondered if her own teaching was lacking.

She grabbed a surfboard and ran out to join the couple already riding the waves. She made another quick trip to Japan later to attend the wedding. But once she returned home after that, she retooled her teaching. By the time she finished, there was almost none of Sensei Williamson=s influence remaining. Her classes were not boot camp, but they were not a lecture hall either.

The renovation yielded good results with bigger classes and good reviews by others regarding Yoko=s Aold school@ approach. She gained a few more critics, but she was used to that by now.

****

James arrived at the dojo fifteen minutes later than he intended to. As a general rule, he was rather punctual, except when his job was more involved than usual. He ran across some figures in Brad=s books where the previous bookkeeper must have pulled them from outer space or somewhere, because they weren=t anywhere on planet earth, much less the balance sheet. He concluded the previous bookkeeper shouldn=t have been just fired, but drawn and quartered as well. He called Brad=s office a few times to get things straight, and finally admitted that statement to the receptionist.

AI think if the man didn=t leave fast enough, Brad would=ve done it,@ she joked before directing his call to their in-house accountant. He was helpful in straightening out a few things, and thanked James immensely for taking on such a thankless task.

When he looked up and saw that it was getting dark outside, he thought he=d better quit. He had no plans to work all night, and Yoko struck him as a woman who would live up to her threat of not leaving him alone until he made a visit. So he grabbed a bite to eat, and made his way to Yoko=s dojo.

As he discovered, it was pretty much what he expected. People were throwing other people, pinning them down with holds that looked very painful, and then they traded places with each other and did it again. Yoko walked among the students dressed in what looked like a white kimono, or whatever they wore in places like this, and a black skirt. She walked around the large mat instructing, guiding, and even throwing a few students to make sure the lesson and technique was learned.

ALearn and forget! Learn and forget!@ She yelled. She turned James= way, smiled broadly, and walked over to him.

AJames! I was beginning to think you wasn=t going to show,@ Yoko said. AThen I would have to nag you about it tomorrow, and drag you by the hair to bring you here, so thank you for saving me the trouble.@

AThank you, I think,@ James replied.

AYou came straight from work, didn=t you?@

AYes; well I had to go back home and eat before I got in the car and drove here.@

AWell I expected you in more casual clothes. But you=re welcome to take your suit coat off, kick off your shoes, and join us.@

AI don=t think so; I=ll just stand here and watch,@ James replied, just as he saw a human body - a large young man - fly through the air and land on the mat. Just when it looked like he would go splat, he rolled back on his feet. James glanced at the thrower. It was a lady half his size and old enough to be his grandmother.

Yoko saw what he was staring at and smiled again. ADon=t mess with granny,@ she joked.

AMay I ask you a question?@

ASure.@

AYou were walking around saying, >Learn and forget.= I don=t understand, isn=t that contradictory?@

AOn the surface it does. Do you remember when I told Autumn there were twenty to fifty basic techniques in aikido?@

AYes.@

AThat=s what the students are to remember. In fact, after drilling those basics into their heads for so long, it=s a part of them. What they are to >forget= are the different applications, keeping track of the technical stuff.@

James looked confused. AI=m still not following,@ he replied.

AOkay, let me put it this way,@ Yoko explained. AYou=re an accountant. Now what four basic functions are used in accounting?@

AWell, there=s the columns, and-@

ANo, no, more basic than that.@

AKnowing where to put the numbers-@

ANo, no, you=re still thinking too advanced here. Break it down to elementary school level.@

James thought a minute, then grew frustrated, and blurted out, AAdd, subtract, multiply, and divide.@

AThat=s it! Now no matter what you do in accounting, from balancing a checkbook to repairing that nightmare Brad gave you, it still boils down to those four functions, right?@

AYes,@ James replied, starting to understand.

AThe basic moves and principles in aikido are hammered in, just like adding and subtracting were drilled into us. When you have to add the figures in accounts receivable, you don=t ask how, you just do it.@ Yoko quickly looked around, saw a boy nearby, and advanced on him. AWhen I grab one of my students like this-@ She grabbed the boy by both wrists. The boy was startled, but acted immediately by twisting himself free, and throwing Yoko in the process. Yoko rolled herself to one knee and finished, Athen you just do it.@ She rose and bowed to the boy, who bowed back.

AI understand now, but what if the attacker had a gun, and pointed it at your chest?@ James asked. Yoko waved her hand in a dismissive motion.

ANow this is where the comparisons part company,@ she said. ANo matter what happens, when you get up in the morning, two plus two will still equal four. You can depend upon it, it=s fixed. People are not the same way. For breakfast, you may want cereal or you may want toast. In a physical confrontation, your attacker may push you, or just throw a right cross at your head. The problem with some self-defense classes, and a few martial arts classes are they teach, >if he does this, then do this.= Odds are the next antagonist you meet will do something not in the equation, and the bruised and battered student will demand his money back, because the teacher didn=t teach an extra >what if.= Aikido, or any martial arts teacher who has any sense, will drill into you the basics. In what I teach, that=s to blend with the attacker, don=t resist, and use his own motion to throw him, or to place him in a submitting hold. Yes, there=s over three thousand different moves, but you don=t need to keep track of them to be effective. Master the basics, and they will master you.@

AI understand now, thank you.@

Yoko walked over to a plastic bucket filled with props. ANow as to answer your question. . .@ She pulled out a toy gun that shot plastic darts. She picked up a dart, loaded it, and stalked around, looking for a victim. She set her eyes on a blond woman who was straightening her white gi pants. Yoko put the gun to her chest, and started to demand money. Before she finished two words, the woman turned sideways out of the gun=s line of fire, grabbed Yoko=s wrist and turned it in a way that made her drop the gun, and lowered her to the floor, pinning her. Yoko tapped the mat, so the other woman would release her. They bowed to each other, and Yoko returned to James, remembering to pick up the discarded toy pistol.

ANow if I >held up= someone else, it would be a different technique. It doesn=t matter, as long as they know the basics,@ Yoko concluded.

AAnd to move out of the way,@ James added.

AYes. You need to see our randori near the end of class; it=s a real treat.@

ARandori?@ James asked.

AFreestyle. In aikido, it=s defending against multiple attackers. It=s a favorite among visitors. Oh, there=s someone I want you to meet; follow me.@

Remembering that James was still in street clothes, Yoko took him along the edge of the dojo mat until they saw a black woman wearing the same outfit as the instructor. She stood about two inches taller than Yoko with a medium build, but a little stockier, and muscular, though not defined. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, revealing an attractive face that was rather animated as she instructed two people, a man and a woman on relaxing while they did their techniques.

ANow look at this black beauty here,@ Yoko said, waving a hand in the woman=s direction. ATake a good look. Look at those muscles and look at how she stands; sleek, strong, deadly . . .@

The woman finally turned around and said, AOh Yoko, will you stop it!@ James figured if her skin tone was much lighter, it would be more evident that she was blushing.

AJames, this is my younger sister, Ivory. Evidently they were referring to her smile. Frankly, I don=t see anything wrong with calling her >Ebony,= but they didn=t ask me . . .@

AYoko!@ Ivory offered her hand to James, who shook it. AIt=s a pleasure to meet you, James; Yoko told me a little about you.@

AYeah, she got me out of a tight spot there a few days ago. I=ll let you get back to your teaching,@ James said.

AAre you staying around for randori?@

AI think so. I=m told it=s a real treat.@

AGood. Just look out for that one,@ Ivory pointed at Yoko. AShe=s real sneaky.@

AMoi? Surely you jest. James, let me get you a seat so I can keep everyone on task,@ Yoko replied as she steered James toward the chairs.

ANext time, you should join us!@ Ivory called out.

AHe can=t, he=s afraid to take his shoes off.@

ANo I=m not,@ James said defensively.

ASure you=re not. Here, sit right here. You can see all the action.@

ASo you have a black stepsister,@ James commented.

ANo, sister,@ Yoko corrected.

ABut your parents, how-@

AMy parents besides being of Japanese ancestry, have been married since the world began. I=ll explain after class.@

When the time for randori came, James was surprised. In a way, it was almost like a dance. The >victim= was a woman in her fifties, who on the surface looked too skinny to hurt a fly, much less the seven men and women selected to attack her. But it was amazing as she tossed people aside, knocking them over, or knocking them into each other. When it was all over, she received a standing ovation. After the class was over, and people were changing, Yoko, still in her uniform, came over to James.

ASo far I=ve only taken primarily two trips overseas, and both were life-changing experiences,@ Yoko began. AFirst, I went to Japan to see how they teach aikido. Much more tougher than we do here. I also went to see a wedding, but I don=t count that. The second was because of a sermon by our pastor about making a difference in someone=s life. You may remember it. Being a single woman, adopting a baby was out of the question, so I went to Ghana, and adopted . . . a sister.@

AA sister?@

AYes, I went to an orphanage in Ghana, and found a young lady to be my little sister.@

AWhy? I mean-@

AI know what you mean. I always wanted a little sister. I have a brother ten years older, and my parents weren=t planning on having any more kids. When I heard the message, and did a little research, I packed my bags, and took a trip to Ghana.

AIvory was the only child of missionaries - church planters. One day they were on their way home from a service conducted at a church founded in one of the war-torn countries. Some soldiers mistook their vehicle for enemy troops and bombed it. Ivory was ill at the time, and at a neighbors= house. She was twelve.

AHer parents were the only family she had, and no one was able to take her in. So she spent several years in the orphanage.@

ASo you made her an honorary sister.@

ANo, her last name was changed and everything. I remember my brother told me that I=ve finally done it, I made myself a little sister. My mother=s reaction was more touching. She beckoned Ivory forward, gave her a big hug, and invited her to dinner. My dad smiled, shook his head, and did the same. He=s used to me doing unusual things by now. I had her enrolled in a good high school, she earned a scholarship to college, and is almost finished with that. Oh, and she=s also a sumo wrestler, and knows everything I know about aikido.@

AThat=s pretty commendable, but I don=t think our pastor meant to go to such extremes,@ James replied.

ALet me tell you a story, stop me if you=ve already heard it. A boy was going along the shore picking up starfish and throwing them back in the sea. A man came by and asked him what he was doing, and the boy told him. >But there=s hundreds of these starfish on the shore. What you=re doing isn=t going to make a difference.= The boy picked up another starfish and threw it in the sea. >It did for that one,= he said.

AJames, fifteen years ago, I=ve done something that saved lives; however it was at the cost of taking the lives of others. This time, I had a chance to change a life, even save it, without committing further bloodshed. It was the best investment I=ve ever made.@

ASo why Africa, why not Japan?@

AJapan is crammed full of people. Ghanna is not. The chances would=ve been excellent for Ivory to be adopted if she was born in Japan. Ivory already spent years in Ghana without a family, and don=t ask me about the eventual fate of unclaimed orphans over there. Ghana was where the need was, and I filled it.@

AI see. Did you wear shoes when you came to get her?@

AJames, it=s Africa, it=s hot. We=re talking about a place where people are half-dressed all the time. It=s not because they=re uncivilized, it=s because it=s hot. Were you born in that suit?@

ANo, just forget I asked.@

Yoko looked closely at him. AI bet your mother said you ask a lot of questions,@ she said, walking closer to him.

AAh, come to think of it, she had said that. Can=t learn anything unless you ask, she said,@ James replied. Yoko was now ten inches from his face.

AYeah. Well just remember that asking questions can go both ways, and the answers may be more than you expect to hear.@

Yoko=s stare was starting to make him uncomfortable, so he directed his attention to some imaginary lint that he brushed off his shoulder. AWhat do you mean by that?@ He asked.

AYou=ll find out,@ she said softly.

James glanced at his watch. AOh, I need to go, busy day tomorrow. I enjoyed the uh, practice, especially the randori. I=ll see you around.@

AOh James?@

AYes?@

ANot tomorrow night, but the night after, I=m holding a party at eight o=clock. You=re invited, and of course, you=re expected to attend.@

AOr you=ll come by my office, grab me by the hair, and drag me here,@ Jame said as he was retreating.

AI=m glad we are starting to understand each other, James.@

As he exited out the door, Ivory, now in black sweat pants and a white T-shirt, came by Yoko=s side.

AYou, sister, are bad,@ she said.

AAnd don=t you forget it either,@ Yoko replied with a smirk.

AYou never did answer his question.@

AWhich one? There were so many.@

AThe one on what you wore when you came to get me.@

AKhaki safari shirt, khaki cargo shorts, and a safari hat, with no shoes. It=s almost a form of discrimination over there; blacks can go barefoot, but I can=t? No, I didn=t tell him, he=s welded into that suit. His shoes are probably nailed to his soles.@

AI also notice you didn=t tell him how you threatened to take the place apart unless I came with you.@

ANot the whole place, just that man who tried to sell you like cattle. I had a kaitennage with his name on it. A kaeshitsuki too.@

Ivory frowned in thought. AIsn=t the last one done with a jo staff?@ She asked.

AYes, but his cane would=ve done the job. Like my second sensei once said, violence doesn=t solve anything, but it can be a nice motivator.@

AThat reminds me, I notice you didn=t tell him you invited the ladies from that group you just started attending.@

AIf you saw how pale his face got when Autumn and I even talked about the subject, you wouldn=t mention it either. He=d have a cardiac arrest. Well enough about him. Is everything put away?@

AYes. I=m going to my room to read a book. You going for a swim?@

AI might. What I=d like would be for our intruder to come back,@ Yoko replied.

AI want a piece of him myself for breaking into our home,@ Ivory said.

AI=ll tell you what; if I get a hold of him, I=ll save what=s left for you. Deal?@

ADeal.@

****

Dave was mildly surprised. Frankly, he expected to see a rundown dive in a questionable neighborhood, not a nice house in a respectable suburban area. Maybe he had the address wrong.

An ear-piercing scream confirmed he was at the right place. He hesitated, but rang the doorbell anyway. Maybe it would offer some relief to whoever it was who screamed. The door opened, and he was greeted by a woman probably around forty, and was about two inches shorter than Dave. The size difference didn=t matter, for shorter or not, she had to be the most muscularly built person, man or woman, that he had ever met. She didn=t have a build of one who was Aon the juice,@ i.e. steroids, but one achieved by a lot of pumping iron. She wore a blue sports bra and form fitting short shorts, loosely covered by a blue silk robe. Her facial features appeared to be a black/oriental mix with almond-shaped eyes, fair brown skin, and long black hair flowing over her shoulders. Whatever the combination, along with the build added up to an arousing combination, as Dave found himself looking her over, from her slanted brown eyes down to her blue toenails.

Finally the silence was broken when the woman said, AJa?@

AMs. Kate?@ Dave asked. One of the things he=d learned in his life was you call a person sir or ma=am if they are older than you, a higher office than you, or one much bigger than you. All three categories seemed to apply with this woman.

ANein, I=m not Ms. Kate,@ the woman continued in a German accent, AI=m only the maid.@

The maid? If he had a maid built like this his place would never be dirty. Mainly because there would most likely be consequences dealt out for a dirty room, and they wouldn=t be pretty.

AThe maid?@ Dave repeated.

AJa. Kate is with a customer right now. She has been expecting you. I=ll take you to her.@

The woman turned and retreated back into the house, with Dave in close pursuit. He was so busy watching the woman=s back muscles move underneath her robe, he almost ran into her when she stopped. What he saw was something unforgettable.

In the center of the large tastefully done living room was an area covered with black rubber mats. Dave could=ve swore he saw wet spots on the mats, but that wasn=t what caught his immediate attention. Near the edge of the mats was a man crawling as if trying to escape. From the looks of things, the man wasn=t in much shape to hail a cab, much less escape the mat. He was a bloody mess. He bled from all over, it looked like, and from the way he moved, there were bruises and maybe a few broken bones as well. He wore a white tank top, and black sweat pants stiff from the dried blood and sweat on them. Dave tried to see if it was anyone he recognized, but thought better of it. Actually, his main thought was, people pay money for this?

The maid seemed to had read his mind. She turned to him and said, AMen and some women come from all over to receive Kate=s services. It would appear business is booming, yes?@

Dave turned to her. ADo you do . . . this?@

She laughed. ANo, no, I=m just the maid. I have nothing to do with this. Kate cleans the mats herself.@

Dave looked at her closely, but not too close. AExcuse my saying so, but you look different from any maid I=ve seen.@

AWhy thank you. By the way, my name is Ilse.@ She extended her hand.

ADave.@ He took the hand and shook it.

Returning his gaze back to the mat, Dave focused on the author of the man=s misery. Kate stood the same height as he did, with short blond hair, and a slim and powerful figure. Her muscles weren=t as huge as Ilse=s, but there was no doubt they were there. She wore a red bra and red lace panties. From the sadistic half grin/half sneer, she was admiring her handiwork, walking around her victim, and giving an occasional kick to the side.

With a final grunt, the man slapped his hand outside the mat. The puffy features on his face seemed to have a look of triumph. That hope was crushed, along with his hand, when Kate stomped her bare left foot on it. For extra emphasis, she wiggled her toes, the nails painted fire engine red. Both Dave and Ilse jumped when it happened. The man curled up into a ball holding his hand. Kate stood over him, as if looking for another place to stomp, when she heard the soft ding-dong of an alarm.

AOh drat, time=s up,@ she said in a cheerful tone. AThank you for a wonderful session, come back again. You know the way out.@

To the man=s credit, he managed to get up and shuffled over to a dressing room.

AShe=s ready for you now,@ Ilse said.

AI=m just here to talk, not to, you know, whatever they did,@ Dave argued.

ARelax, I know what you meant,@ Kate said. She picked up a red kimono framed in black, and threw it on, tying it so she looked more appropriate. She sat on a nearby sofa and patted the seat next to her. ATalk to me.@

AWhen I talked to you on the phone, I had a proposition for you; a request if you made house calls,@ Dave started to explain.

ALet=s cut to the chase, Dave. You want me to beat someone up,@ Kate interjected.

AWell yes.@

AI occassionally make >house calls,= but I=ll tell you right now it will not be cheap. So who is the victim in question?@

AYoko Nagano.@

Kate=s eyes brightened up. AYou mean the Yoko who supposedly slain some gang bangers years ago?@

AYeah, and by the way, it=s true, I saw the footage.@

AWell I=ll do it, and I=ll do it for free.@

AFree?@

AYes; how=s that for a bargain?@

AGreat; do you, I mean, have you had dealings with her before?@ Dave asked.

ANo, but she=s never been far from my mind.@

When Dave gave her a confused look, Kate explained further. ASince I moved to this town, business has been good, but I would always hear about Yoko. >Have you heard of Yoko?= my clients would ask me. Then I would hear >Yoko this,= and >Yoko that.= I heard how she saved the town, how powerful she is, you name it. So I want to meet her and beat the snot out of her, so I can tell my clients yes, I met her, and I defeated her. Ilse, you can go now.@

AOh, excuse me,@ Ilse said as she got up from the edge of the couch she sat on, and walked down the hall.

Kate smiled slyly. AI think she likes you. Quite a specimen, isn=t she?@

AUh yeah. Where is she from, I can=t seem to peg her down,@ Dave said.

AIlse is from South Africa. Her parents consist of a black businessman and a Korean woman who worked for the same firm. They later were relocated to Germany where she spent most of her childhood. After college, she came to the states.@

AAnd now she=s your maid.@

Kate laughed. AShe tells everybody that. No, she runs a cleaning service. I think half of the businesses in town she has under contract. We=re old friends, and she=s my roommate. Besides, if I had a maid like that, I=ve be afraid to get anything dirty.@

AI heard that.@

AI keep telling her she needs to get into competition, but she keeps telling me it=s too much trouble.@

ASo Kate, I still don=t understand what Yoko=s reputation has to do with what you do.@

ADave, let me explain to you the nature of what I do. My client and I get on those mats,@ Kate pointed to the mats, Aand the client=s mission is to get off the mats, simple as that.@

AThat=s it?@

AYes. They win when they are completely off the mats. As you have observed, it=s not quite that easy. They can either evade me or fight me, and since the session starts out with me blocking their way to freedom, they have little choice. They have an hour or thirty minutes to do it. So far, I have never lost.@

AIt=s kind of a funny way to uh, get your jollies, isn=t it?@

Kate laughed again. ADave, I=m not a regular dom. Actually, I=m not a real dom at all, even though I love beating people up. I don=t dress in leather, I don=t use a crop or whip, and I think those thigh high stiletto boots are silly; how can you move in those? To me, the less clothing, the better. I enjoy a regular romantic relationship like most people do. Ever since I took up karate and learned to master it, I loved the power it gave me to leave most men and women lying in their own blood, and they pay me for it, amazing. And yes, before we start, I have them sign an agreement so I won=t get sued.@

The door to the dressing room opened, and the man, shabbily dressed and heavily bruised, shuffled out. Ilse appeared, and helped him out of the house.

ANow Donnie, you=ve got your story ready, right?@ Kate asked.

Donnie tried to nod, but that seemed to be too painful, so he croaked out a yes.

AVery good. I=ll see you next time after you=re all healed up. Good night.@

Donnie croaked another word, either yes or bye, Dave wasn=t sure. He turned back to Kate.@

A'Next time?= You mean he does this often?@ He asked. AHe can barely walk!@

AYeah, he=s one of my regulars. And that=s nothing; I=ve beat him worse than that,@ Kate replied.

AThat=s insane!@

AYes, it is, isn=t it? I wouldn=t do it. Now about Yoko. I=m busy tomorrow; does Friday evening sound good?@

AIt does to me.@

AExcellent.@ Kate pulled a remote from a pocket in the sofa, and turned on a big screen TV. ADave, would you like to watch some women=s UFC with me? The heavyweights are fighting tonight.@

Dave shrugged. ASure.@

AIlse, could you pop some popcorn? The fights are on tonight.@

AJa!@ Ilse=s voice came from another part of the house.

AI like to unwind after a long day at work. Besides, this will give us time to be better acquainted. Water? Green tea? I don=t drink alcohol or colas very much.@

AWater will do, thanks.@

Ilse appeared with the drinks and popcorn, and making sure to sit close to Dave, she prepared herself to watch the show.

*****

On the day of the party, a few of Yoko=s guests arrived early to help set things up, and to play catch up on what=s been going on. They all gathered around at one of the tables.

ALooks like I have quite a motley crew greeting my guests tonight,@ Yoko said, looking over her early arrivals.

AA >motley crew?= What do you mean?@ One woman replied. She was a slender Asian-American woman of 5'7", with long black hair flowing below her shoulders. She was dressed in a bulky white sweater with white leggings and white fishnet hose. Her nickname was the AWhite Ghost@ because of the way she Afloated@ across the dojo floor, and because white was her favorite color. Li (her real name) ran a chin na studio downtown.

AWell Li, we have yourself, the >White Ghost,= and we have Josephine, otherwise known as >The Predator.= That would be a fine way to introduce yourself: >Hello Ms. Jones, I=m the Predator.= That=ll go well,@ Yoko remarked.

Josephine burst out laughing. AYou know it!@ She said. She stood 5'8" with shoulder-length black hair, and a muscular build, developed partly from working on a farm, and partly from what she did during the evening.

When women=s sumo wrestling became popular, the interest flowed to other combat sports as well. A few years ago, an enterprising young woman started a women=s Greco-Roman wrestling league. Despite some criticism from the male community, the league soundly and smoothly got off the ground. Josephine and her two roommates who also worked loading boxes at the farm, belonged to one of the leading teams in the area. She sought out Yoko to teach her a few throws and holds to improve her game. Her roommates wouldn=t be there until the party started because of other projects, so the Japanese-American had the task of telling them of Yoko=s latest challenges. She wore a red work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, blue jeans with the cuffs rolled up low-calf, and bore the hardened soles of where she lived and worked. Yoko=s parties were always casual and Ashoe optional,@ which delighted Josephine and many of her friends to no end.

AAnd over here, I have Nancy, otherwise known as >The Deadly Nerd.= When she=s not studying, attending classes, or doing homework, she=s beating up folks on playgrounds, basketball courts, soccer fields, you name it,@ Yoko said. AGirl, you know all of your fights are on the internet now?@

Nancy giggled. AAs long as my parents don=t find out, that=s okay.@

The Asian-American woman stood 5'6", with long brown hair, and was skinny, or rather, she was once upon a time. At one time, the college student was beaten up by a bully. As Nancy sat there on the ground rubbing her bruised belly, the female bully said one remark that changed her life. AIf you paid as much attention to your body as you did your books, no one would mess with you.@ After that, Nancy started a regular workout regiment, and grabbed a few books on unarmed combat.

After she studied and practiced what she learned, she wandered around playgrounds and other areas where people fought in hopes that she would be picked on. As expected, she was, and she tried out what she learned and won. She felt victorious, and she discovered something else; she liked it. After she took on other bullies and the one bully who beat her up in the first place, Nancy would start attending the local Female Fight Club. The former stringbean of a girl was now an athletically built woman who specialized in choke holds. She started calling herself The Deadly Nerd because first and foremost, she was a nerd. She read loads of books, held a high grade point average, and was one of the best players on the school=s chess team. Her two favorite sporting events to watch were Mixed Martial Arts tournaments and the National Spelling Bee.

How she met Yoko was also an unusual story. Nancy beat some thugs at an impromptu fighting tournament at an abandoned basketball court, and unknown to her at the time, someone taped it and posted it on an internet viewing site. Yoko, who normally did not watch homemade videos of backyard brawls, stumbled across this, and did something even rarer, posted a remark about it. AGood throws, but she moves with the grace of Frankenstein,@ she wrote. The next day, there was a knock on the door to her dojo, and Yoko was surprised to see it was Nancy, standing there in her standard fighting garb: a white T-shirt, blue shorts, and dark blue thick calf length socks, no shoes.

Not quite sure if it was another challenge, Yoko slowly said, AHello?@

ATeach me how to move,@ Nancy replied politely.

ATeach you how to move? You mean aikido?@

ANo, that would take too long. I want you to teach me footwork, so I can be more graceful.@

AEr, are you sure you came to the right place?@ Yoko asked.

AYes. You were the one who said I moved with >the grace of Frankenstein,= and from what I found out about you, you would be one of the ideal people to teach me how to move gracefully,@ Nancy explained.

Yoko then took a closer look. AYou=re Nancy, the >Deadly Nerd= who trashed those two girls?@

AYes, and you=re Yoko, the aikido master who took out five members of the Scorpions years ago when they attacked your former sensei=s dojo years ago. From this, you spoke and taught at several exhibitions and seminars. You started your dojo with an emphasis on self-defense, and have a shorter program than most instructors. And because of your break with your former sensei, you have people challenge you often, but you never lost. You also advise wrestlers of various types.@

Yoko stood there dumbfounded.

AAnd,@ Nancy added, looking at Yoko=s bare toes, Ayou don=t like shoes either. May I come in?@

As Yoko opened the door fully and let her in, she asked, AAll that information about me is out there?@

AIt is, if you know how to look. And I know how to look.@

So Yoko taught Nancy some basic footwork, and a little bit on reading your opponent, comparing it to the chess games she loved to play. Nancy became a good friend, and one to go to if she needed research on anything. She dressed in a white blouse, a heather green sweater, a green plaid skirt, gray tights, no shoes.

AAnd not only do I have a deadly nerd, I have her disciple as well,@ Yoko continued, waving toward Naoki, sitting on Nancy=s right. The normally stern face of Naoki broke out in a smile.

Naoki was a 5'5" woman, also of Asian-American descent, with shoulder length brown hair, an attractive face, and a build similar to Yoko=s. Only Naoki=s medium build wasn=t the product of swimming, it was from sumo wrestling. While attending college and working as a part-time customer representative, she got involved in the world of sumo, and took to it as a duck took to water. In the lightweight ranks of her stable, she was a power to be reckoned with. However, this quiet, unassuming woman also had a desire for the underground fight scene. And while sumo wrestling satisfied her urges, she started checking out the female fight clubs for the possibility of more action during the off-season. That was where she met Nancy, who was more than flattered when Naoki asked her to teach her what she knew. When Nancy explained that all she knew was self-taught, that delighted Naoki more. She offered a trade-off; she would teach Naoki what she knew in return for Naoki teaching her sumo moves and sumo conditioning. Naoki agreed wholeheartedly, and upon finding out that Nancy met Yoko for lessons in footwork, she expressed her desire to meet the famous aikidoist. The next day, Yoko made a humorous remark about attracting strays when she saw Nancy and Naoki on her doorstep. Naoki, normally a serious woman, burst out laughing. Yoko shook her head and let them in. She discovered that though she appeared as serious as a heart attack, once one got to know her, Naoki was an intelligent, courteous young woman, despite the fact she had a desire to tear an opponents= head off in competition. Naoki liked Yoko because she could make her laugh, which was a feat in itself, because very few people can do so. Since she had gotten off work not long before she came to Yoko=s house, she was still wearing one of her work outfits, except for her low-heeled shoes that were thrown in the back seat of her car. She wore a long sleeve black knit top, black jean shorts, and black hose.

AAnd there=s the disciple=s sidekick, or one of them, anyway,@ Yoko said. AAnya, where=s Big Red at?@

AShe had a couple of major exams to study for, so she was not able to make it tonight,@ Anya replied. AShe did want us to give you her regrets.@

Anya was a Russian native who immigrated to the states with her family. When she arrived, she became involved in sumo wrestling like her friend Naoki, who she met at the wrestler=s stable. She was the same height as Naoki, with a thinner build and short black hair, along with the basic pale complexion that most Russians have. She met Naoki while the latter was packing her bag to travel to an underground arena fifty miles away to compete in. Anya expressed her concern to Naoki traveling to all these fight clubs. Naoki responded with an invitation for Anya to go with her. Surprised, Anya accepted. Later, while Naoki was making the rounds at various arenas, she confronted Anya and told her to admit it, she liked to watch. Hard-pressed, Anya admitted that she did. Upon further questioning, she admitted the neighborhood in Russia where she grew up was a rough one, and they had local fights there on a regular basis. Later, she found herself beating up a man who attempted to be Naoki=s Aagent,@ but was not out for her best interests. Anya was wearing a black turtleneck shirt, a red and white plaid skirt, and black footless leggings to show off her bare feet. She painted her toenails red for the occasion.

The third member of their trio, Renny, or ABig Red@ as most people call her, a slender black woman with hair dyed red, was someone the two met while Naoki was taking her on in an outdoors fight that was broken up by the police, barely leaving them any time to escape. She later joined the other two as a lightweight sumo wrestler. In that she was coming along well.

AWell tell Renny I miss her, and that she better be here at the next party,@ Yoko replied. AAll you rough women coming early, like you=re going to start trouble. A motley crew indeed.@

ADo you think we=re going to fight?@ Naoki asked.

AAll you need to fight, Naoki, is an excuse,@ Yoko joked. Naoki responded by laughing.

AHow do you do that?@ Nancy asked. AWe count it a major achievement to get her to smile or grin, much less laugh.@

AI don=t know; maybe because I have my own sphinx to practice with,@ Yoko replied, tilting her head toward one of her students who was preparing food and drinks. ANow since you ladies are already here, you can help with the setup.@

AWe hear and obey, oh mighty leader,@ Li replied. As Yoko gave her a dirty look, Naoki giggled.

AShe did it again!@ Nancy exclaimed.

ANow besides other friends and students, I have some new guests coming over tonight,@ Yoko explained.

AYou mean the death squad?@ Li asked.

AThe what?@

AIvory already told us about them.@

AShe did not call them the >death squad.=@

ANo, that was my name for them. Well, they need a name.@

AMaybe so, but >the death squad= does not sound like a good one. Some of them might like it, but please don=t call them that. Anyway, with our new guests, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior.@

AMoi?@ Josephine said, pointing to herself.

AEspecially you, and that goes for your roommates too when they show up. Now let=s get busy.@

At the appointed time, people started filtering in. Friends, students old and new, and finally (because the driver turned left instead at right at the most opportune time, making them a little late), Cyndy=s group arrived. Things went smoothly and without a hitch, although there were a few shocking discoveries among the guests getting to know each other.

AYou raped your boyfriend?@ A shocked Nancy said in a stage whisper just loud enough for Heidi to hear.

AWell, I wouldn=t call it that. When I found out he was sleeping around on me, I confronted him, and slammed him against the wall when he admitted it. I then started to rip his clothes off, and . . . . well yeah, I guess I did,@ Heidi tried to explain. ANancy, come back, it=s not what you think!@

AHey, aren=t you the woman who set that man=s hair on fire?@ A white belt student in one of Yoko=s beginning classes asked Yamit as they sipped their glasses of sparkling grape juice (no alcohol was served at Yoko=s parties).

Yamit grinned. AYes, that was me.@ She received that question all the time.

AI heard they were going to make that incident into a movie,@ the student continued.

Of all the responses Yamit normally received, that was a new one. AReally?@ She replied a little stunned. AIf so, they haven=t told me.@

AWho do you think they=ll have to play you?@

ANobody, if I can help it; at least until I see the screenplay first.@

Josephine was enjoying herself, but as she thought about it, maybe things could be tweaked a little; like perhaps changing the background jazz and classical tunes to dance music. Of course, if she was going to boogie, she needed to find a partner in crime. Her roommates were on the other side of the dojo, so she went to the most available person, which was Naoki, who just happened to refill her plate and returning to her table.

AHey, Naoki, let=s say we change the mood just a little and get everybody dancing?@ She asked.

Naoki looked at her with a neutral expression, and replied, AI . . . do not dance.@

Josephine cocked her head and asked, AIs that because you don=t like it, or you don=t know how?@

Naoki paused, and replied, AI never learned how. I always became occupied with other things.@

AWell, what other things were - never mind. Would you like to learn how?@

AI guess so. I may have to do it eventually, I suppose.@

Josephine mentally shook her head. This woman was so painfully practical. Outside of her job, sumo, and fighting, she was like a fish out of water on social things. After a moment of thought, she came up with an idea. AHey, I=ve got it. Dancing is basically moving your body to the beat. Now you don=t dance, but you do work out, correct?@

AYes,@ Naoki said, a little surprised at the question. Of course she worked out, very religiously. In fact, she couldn=t think of the last time she didn=t work out.

AWell you can use one of those exercises as a dance move.@

Now Naoki was really confused. ALike what?@

AYou know that exercise where you lift one leg into the air sideways and slam it down?@

AYes, I do a thousand of those a day.@

I=m not surprised, Josephine thought to herself. Out loud, she said, AWell you can dance using that.@

AAnd what tune would I do that to?@

ASomething funky. Come with me,@ Josephine replied, pulling Naoki with her to the stereo. On the way, she grabbed her handbag that she just happened to stuff with compact discs for this occasion.

Yoko had gone into the kitchen to check on some appetizers that were in the oven. They were almost ready. She=ll ask Suzi, one of her students to check on them in a few minutes. As soon as she stood up, she thought she heard some music with a strong bass beat. That didn=t sound like Dave Koz, she thought. Then she grew suspicious. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard a AWoo hoo!@ from the dojo floor.

AJosephine,@ she said to herself as she marched out the door.

It entered Yoko=s mind to check Josephine=s handbag, jacket, even her person for any stray tunes that she may have brought in with her, but she had other things that overrode that. She still had strong memories of the last get-together, which was the celebration of a student obtaining their black belt. A party was held in the student=s honor by his parents, and Yoko was happy to oblige. She also invited some of her friends, who were curious what went on when a student tested for a black belt in aikido. The next thing she knew, the dojo was rocking with the tune AKung Fu Fighting@ by Carl Douglas. Most everybody thought it was a humorous pun on Yoko=s part. Josephine in her defense, said, AHey, it=s a celebration, time to boogie!@ Next time, she=s going to have two of her black belts guard the sound system.

When she left the kitchen, Yoko was treated to a strange sight. The sight almost reminded her of a scene from the old show Soul Train. Josephine and Naoki were at the front of the group in the center of the floor doing, doing sumo exercises? They would lift one leg, then stomp it down, followed by the other, to the rhythm of the music. Two fast stomps, followed by four smaller, faster stomps. She wasn=t sure which was weirder, Naoki giggling, having the time of her life doing her Adisco sumo,@ or seeing the people behind her who felt limber enough to follow these new dance steps. She glanced over at Nancy and Anya, who gave her a shrug and a shake of the head, in that order. Letting out a held breath, Yoko managed to relax herself. At least people were enjoying themselves. Things couldn=t get any worse.

And that=s when the doorbell rang.

Yoko glanced at her watch. She didn=t know why, she knew who it was. Before she could make a move, one of the guests opened the door, and James walked in, dressed in one of his business suits.

Doesn=t the man have a single pair of jeans in his wardrobe, Yoko thought. I told him it was casual.

James slowly walked into the dojo, waving hello to Ivory and Autumn, who he knew, and made his way to the food table; which was where he saw the bizzare dance before him. He stood there in mute disbelief when Yoko managed to intercept him.

AJames, I=m glad you could make it!@ Yoko said, steering him away from the dancers and toward the food. ADid that project of Brad=s keep you working late again?@

AYeah. I ran across a really tough spot that kept me at the office longer than I wanted. Uh, what are those people doing? I know they=re dancing, but I=ve never seen anything like that before,@ he replied, looking back at Naoki and Josephine.

AThat makes two of us. My parties are normally a little more sedate than this. Apparently, someone wanted to liven it up. But I=m glad you=re here. You haven=t had a chance to eat anything, have you?@

ANo, not really.@

AWell by all means, help yourself. I=m going to talk to Ivory for a minute.@

When Yoko met up with Ivory, Ivory spoke first. AI tried to keep an eye on her, Yoko, but she=s fast and sneaky. I went to the bathroom the same time you headed for the kitchen, and the next thing I know, I=m seeing the strangest line dance I=ve ever saw in my life,@ her sister said.

AWell when everyone is finished getting their groove on, I want you to stand near the vicinity of the stereo and don=t let anyone near it. Use one of the jo sticks to keep them at bay if you have to. If Josephine hadn=t hid the standard music, it should be nearby for you to put back in,@ said Yoko. AI knew I should=ve checked her purse when she came in early.@

AI think that should=ve tipped you off,@ Ivory pointed out.

AHow so?@

AJosephine doesn=t carry a purse.@

Meanwhile, after he had his fill of food, James occupied himself getting more acquainted with the students and other guests at the party. Eventually he ran into Linda Kim, or rather, Linda ran into him, for she was doing the same thing. Dancing was not on her list of priorities.

AI thought that was you,@ James said as he took a sip of his drink. AIt=s not everyday I see someone who was on TV.@

AIt=s still kind of weird to me. Hopefully it didn=t add ten pounds to my figure like they say it does,@ Linda replied.

ANo, not at all. Regardless, I must say what you did took a lot of courage. I don=t think I could do it.@

AI think one of the keys was not thinking about it, because if I paused and thought about it, I would=ve been scared to death.@

Both laughed.

ANow I understand you and Yoko met under unusual circumstances.@

AYeah, she got the both of us out of a tough scrape there.@

AAnd you=re an accountant, correct?@

AYes.@

AWell that=s something you=ve got on me. I consider it a major accomplishment to balance my checkbook,@ Linda joked. AI can fight a gang of terrorists at my school, but I don=t remember how much I paid for groceries, or when I even bought them.@

ADon=t tell anybody, but it=s hard to balance my checkbook too,@ James remarked.

AReally?@

AYeah, you balance so much of other people=s accounts, you sometimes forget about your own.@

AI have to remind myself when I=m at home that I=m allowed to write sloppy if I=m the only person reading it; I know it=s not being graded.@

AOn manuscripts and things?@

ANo, on silly things, like grocery lists and things to do around the house. Work has a terrible habit of coming home with me.@

AI know what you mean. I sometimes live at the office and work at home.@

AAnyway James, don=t sell yourself short; you may be able to do more than you think when the time comes,@ Linda said encouragingly as she bit into a cookie.

AFrankly, I=d be quite happy if those times would never come,@ James reflected as he shook his head.

AAmen. Hey, have you ever thought about taking a self-defense course?@

AI don=t think I have the time or patience to earn a black belt like you, Yoko, and every other person here.@

ANo, no, I mean basic stuff; enough to evade your attacker or subdue him long enough to get away or for help to arrive.@

AHuh, I never thought about that.@

AIt=s been said the average person only needs ten techniques to fend off an attacker. Not enough to fight an army of ninjas, granted, but enough to keep you safe.@

AI=d like to know what those ten techniques are.@

AOh, I=d be glad to teach you, free of charge.@

AReally?@

AYeah. Besides, I=ll need you in one piece to balance my taxes one day.@

AA future customer; that=s a motivation.@

Linda cocked an ear. ALooks like Yoko regained control of the music.@

AGood, that bass was pounding my skull.@

Suddenly, Yoko appeared. Grasping James lightly by the arm, she said, AExcuse me, Linda, I=d like to borrow James for a minute.@

ASure, no problem,@ she replied. She started to show a knowing grin as the two walked away.

As they were walking, Yoko asked, AHave you enjoyed yourself so far?@

AYes, I=m having a good time,@ James replied. AUh, what=s going on?@

AWell I wanted to ask - oh wait a minute, that=s the wrong tune - I=ll be right back.@ She hurried off.

A little confused, James sat down at a nearby table and waited. He was having a pretty good conversation with Linda; what did she want that interfered with that, he thought. While patiently waiting, he saw an Asian-American woman who stood about 5'6" with short brown hair approach him. James recognized her as the woman who served drinks and food to everyone. She wore a long-sleeve white blouse, more of a mock turtleneck, a light brown skirt with over the shoulder straps, and white slouch socks that she glided across the floor in. When she reached James, she plopped down in the chair next to him, looking directly at him.

AHi,@ she said.

AHello,@ James replied politely.

AI=m Suzi, with a >z,=@ she continued in a matter of fact tone.

AI=m James.@

AI know. You=re quite handsome.@

Knocked a little off balance by that, James managed to sputter a thank you.

For a long moment, Suzi gave James a looking over, displaying a small grin on her face. Just when James was ready to say something, anything to break the silence, Suzi said, AI=m glad you=re enjoying the party.@

AThanks again. I guess you are too?@

AYes I am,@ she sighed, looking at him intensely.

AOh, well that=s good then.@ James wasn=t sure whether he felt like an insect under a microscope or a slab of prime rib observed by a hungry restaurant patron.

AYou know, you should take up aikido,@ Suzi said, suddenly changing the subject.

AI haven=t thought much about it,@ James replied.

AYou really should. It brought me out of my shell.@

James could only nod.

AI need to go now. We=ll talk later. Bye.@ Suzi got up and glided away.

James spent the next few seconds wondering what just happened when Yoko came back. He told her about the whole encounter.

AI=m not sure, but I think she was hitting on you,@ Yoko said. ATo tell you the truth, we weren=t sure if she liked anybody, outside of Ivory and Li. I guess she likes me too, since she still takes classes under me. She normally doesn=t show a whole lot of emotion. Still, she=s one of my best students.@

AWell the way she looked at me earlier, I don=t think she needs self-defense,@ James replied. AI can=t imagine anyone attacking her, aikido or no aikido.@

AThere=s a particular karate black belt who would probably agree with you.@

ASomeone with a black belt in karate attacked her?@

ATried to. It=s a long story, but that=s not the reason I brought you over here.@

ASo what was the reason?@

AI wanted to ask you to dance with me.@

AOkay, sure.@

Yoko was a little surprised by James= response, but she went ahead and led James to the middle of the dojo floor, giving a slight nod to Ivory as she did so. She was pleased as others took a partner and prepared for the next song. After being subjected to the hyper-rhythm beats of Josephine=s music, she wondered if anyone was going to be brave enough to dance. At a subtle nod from Yoko, Ivory played a slow golden oldie. This one was AJust the Two of Us@ by Bill Withers. James cocked his head, listening to the music for a moment.

AIs everything okay?@ Yoko asked.

ASure, just hearing the beat. Just follow my lead,@ James said.

AOkay,@ Yoko said questioningly.

James first positioned their arms as they held hands, one pair straight out, while the other was held close to their person. He then executed a series of precise steps as they moved across the dojo/dance floor. Yoko, being no stranger to footwork in her discipline, followed, but she was surprised and pleased at this new development.

AWhat are we doing, exactly?@ She asked.

AThe Fox Trot,@ James said.

AThe Fox Trot? Where did you learn this?@

AAt some of the accountants conventions, they have dancing, and sometimes even dance contests. One day I thought enough was enough, and I enrolled at a studio to learn some ballroom dancing. It became a little of a mixed blessing though.@

AHow=s that?@

AOn the nights the conventions would have dancing, I would end up most exhausted from dancing with everybody; the women, that is.@

AWell it looks like you learned your lessons well.@

AThank you.@

James gracefulness didn=t go unoticed. At one of the tables, Josephine, Ann, Nancy, and Heidi watched the couple, paying no attention to the others.

AWow, it looks like James has some moves!@ Josephine said.

AYeah. What is that they=re doing, anyway?@ Nancy asked.

AI believe it=s called the Fox Trot,@ Heidi, who finally convinced Nancy she wasn=t a serial rapist, said. As soon as she said that, the three women looked at her. AWhat? Sumo isn=t the only thing I know!@

AI only wish my beloved was here so I would be dancing,@ Ann remarked.

AAh what can you do? It=s not like you can go to his job and beat up his boss,@ Heidi said.

AActually that sounds like an excellent idea. He doesn=t need to work there much longer anyway.@

Nancy gave her a strange look. AOf course you are joking, Ann, right? Right?@

Ann just sat back and gave an evil grin.

Meanwhile on the dance floor, James had noticed that Yoko had her eyes closed.

AYou can open your eyes, Yoko; I=m not doing that bad, am I?@ James asked.

ANot at all, James, you=re fine,@ Yoko replied. She was enjoying the experience. Her bare toes gliding across the dojo floor, the sensation of moving in a way that doesn=t lead into a throw, and this was much better than the standard hug and rock in one place slow dancing that most people do. And just like that, it was over. She thought she heard people applauding, but that was the last thing on her mind. AI want to dance another one, please!@ She demanded.

AI think we can do one more,@ James said as he waited for the next song. Ah, this was perfect. AOkay, this time, we=ll do a waltz. We=ll even throw in a few spins.@

AOkay,@ Yoko said, eager to get started.

If James wasn=t concentrated on what he was doing, and Yoko didn=t have her eyes half-closed feeling the experience, they would have noticed most of the guests were watching them. It=s not everyday someone who knew what they were doing regarding dancing at a party shows up, and only the romantically linked didn=t pay attention to the graceful couple gliding across the floor. Yoko even managed to do her spins adequately, which further delighted her to no end. And again, like a dream, the song was over. There was more applause, but Yoko wasn=t noticing. Neither was James, who looked at his watch.

AOh-oh, I need to leave. I promised myself I would get an early start on Brad=s account tomorrow so I can finish it. I had a good time Yoko, thanks for inviting me; bye!@ He said, and he was gone.

ABye James,@ Yoko replied softly, even though he was already out of earshot to hear her. Now she realized how the prince felt in the fairy tale Cinderella when she made a sudden exit. Unlike the fairy tale, James didn=t leave a glass slipper, or in his case, a glass loafer in his haste to go. She almost didn=t notice Cyndy, Helen, and Josephine approach her.

AYou two were good!@ Cyndy exclaimed.

AThanks, but it was all him, I just followed his lead. He took ballroom dance lessons,@ Yoko replied.

AI thought it was something like that.@

AWhere did he go? I was going to have him dance with me on the next song,@ Helen said.

AHe had to get to work early tomorrow. He=s very dedicated to it,@ Yoko said, still taking an occasional glance toward the door as if he would come back.

AYeah, I never would=ve thought that guy would have some moves,@ Josephine said. AHe was smooth.@

Yoko turned on her. AAnd the next time, I=m going to have you frisked!@

Josephine gave one of her most innocent looks, placed her hand over her chest, and said, AMoi?@

AYes, you, or whatever the french equivalent is. What=s with sneaking whatever that was in the music?@

AAw, just having a little fun. Did you see Naoki? She really tore up the floor, and she was giggling!@

Yoko saw Josephine=s look of triumph on that point, and rose her hands up in mock surrender. AI don=t know about you three, but I=m going to have some desert. Who=s with me?@

Spurred on by the thought of tasting something sweet, the three ladies eagerly followed their host.

*****

The next day at work, James arrived early as promised, and dug right into his work. By the start of the regular business hour, he made quite a bit of progress. He decided to put away Brad=s accounts for a while and get on with other accounts when the phone rang. He heard Rachel answer it, and promptly responded with AJames, it=s for you.@

It wasn=t unusual for James to get calls in the morning, but receiving one as soon as the office opened was a little unusual. He picked up his line and said, AHello?@

AYou owe me a dance, buddy!@ Came Yoko=s voice from the other end. She did not sound like her usual cheerful self.

AI owe you?@ He asked.

AYeah! You come in - late, I might add - and get along well with everybody. Then you dance with me along the dojo floor like you were Fred Astaire, wowing everybody, and suddenly you look at your watch and say, >Oops, I gotta go,= leaving me there in the middle of the room. What are you, Cinderella=s brother? If you left a glass loafer, the similarity would=ve been perfect.@

Fortunately for James, his receptionist was in the main lobby, else she would have seen her employer turn a nice number of colors, particularly red. It took him a moment to regain the power of speech as well. AWell, I, uh, I didn=t, wait a minute; did you say I wowed everybody?@

ADon=t change the subject! You ought to know that you don=t sweep a lady off her feet, and just leave her standing there without a proper explanation.@

ABut I did give you a proper explanation!@

AAs soon as you checked your watch! You could=ve told me beforehand.@

Just then, the other line rang. James was half wishing it was a customer so he would be able to get off the line. Unfortunately on the other end of the line, Yoko heard it too.

ADon=t answer it,@ she barked. AUnless it=s a million-dollar deal, or the president himself is asking you to balance the budget, don=t answer it. I=m not finished with you yet.@

He heard Rachel pick up the line and answer it. AHello? Oh, hi honey, what brings you to call this early?@ He closed the door. Maybe he could=ve pretended it was an important business deal, but she=d probably come over and chew him out in person.

ALook Yoko, it was only two dances, what=s the big deal?@ He said, trying to put her on the defensive.

AThe >big deal= was I had all these women lining up, ready to waltz with you. And I had to tell them, >Oh, he just remembered he wears a watch, and realized he had to get his beauty sleep so he could play with numbers early the next day.@

AIt=s a little more important than that, its-@ James suddenly remembered a bit of wisdom his father taught him a few years ago. If a woman is fussing at you, it=s possible that some part of the argument, no matter how small, may be your fault. Just apologize and move on. Considering his parents have been married for about forty years, it=s probably some good advice to use, AI=m sorry Yoko,@ he admitted.

AYou should be,@ Yoko replied, a little more nicer than before. AThe fact is, you still owe me.@

AI >owe= you?@

AYes; sometime in the near future, I=m going to collect on that debt.@

ADoing what?@

AI don=t know, but you=ll find out. I know where you work, and I can easily find out where you live, so don=t hide on me.@

AOkay, I won=t,@ James said. The woman was becoming scary again.

ASee that you don=t. Goodbye, James.@

ABye.@

As he sat down (he didn=t realize he was standing up for most of the conversation), Rachel popped her head in and said, AGuess what? Chris got two tickets from a friend to see any of the shows on the Riverfront, isn=t that great?@

AYeah, that=s terrific,@ James mentioned, happy to hear someone=s morning was going fine.

AThat sounded like Yoko on the phone. What did she want?@

Blood, James thought. Out loud, he said, Ashe was telling me about how her party was going after I left early last night.@

AA party? Next time she has one, have her invite me and Chris. I=d love to see her place.@

ASure will.@ He said as she closed the door. Of course that=s provided he survived the aftermath of this one. And what did he >owe her= anyway? Best to get back to work and not dwell on it.

*****

Yoko hung up the phone, with a satisfied grin on her face. He dangled on the hook long enough to get the message.

AWas that really necessary?@ Ivory asked from her desk in the room designated as the office.

AAnd what would you suggest, Doctor Ivory?@ Yoko responded.

Ivory was speechless.

AI thought so.@

AOkay, maybe I don=t have the right answer, but calling at work and chewing him out doesn=t sound like the best one to me,@ Ivory explained.

APerhaps not, but, well you weren=t the one dancing with him. I thought when I asked him to dance with me, we=d do one of those rocking back and forth things. But no, he glided across the floor, guiding me, even twirling me. It was all I could do to keep up. The last time I was that close to someone moving like that was that judo instructor who wanted to twirl me into the ground two years ago. Then bong, the clock struck midnight, and off he went, just like Cinderella did. He barely gave me an explanation.@

AI=m guessing you liked the story Cinderella a lot as a child.@

AI don=t know about that; I=ve seen the cartoon movie about a hundred times, but that=s beside the point.@

Ivory just grinned and folded her arms smugly. AYou just wanted to dance with him some more,@ she said.

AWell, yeah. He should=ve made his plans known before we did, that=s all.@

ASo now you judge this man on the basis of his dance etiquette.@

ANo, I=m not judging him on his dancing alone, it=s - what are you looking at me like that for?@

AOh no reason. You know, Suzi wanted to dance with him too.@

AReally?@ Yoko said. AAnd when did she start dancing?@

AShe=d been taking lessons in ballroom dancing for five years, she told me. She also said the waltz and fox trot are nice, but her favorite dance is the paso-doble. It=s hot and full of passion.@

Yoko stared warily at her adopted sister. AWe are talking about the same Suzi, right? The quiet woman who=s only claim to fame was taking her time with her opponent, and taking apart a black belt in karate a few years ago?@ She asked.

AThe same one. Of course she never told me, but then again, I haven=t tried ballroom dancing., so it never occurred to me to ask her.@

AHuh. Well I have a lot of things to do today, besides wonder where my student hides her hidden talents.@

AYes, me too,@ Ivory said as she headed out the door so she could drive to arrive at her college class. AShe may even give you some competition,@ she added in a soft voice, almost a whisper.

AWhat was that?@

AShe told me that she even thought about trying out for competition. They do that in ballroom dancing you know. Competition.@

AAre you sure that=s all you said?@

AOf course, what else would I say? Not my fault everyone wanted to dance with your prince,@ Ivory remarked.

ADon=t you have an exam to take?@

AAs a matter of fact, I do. See you later.@ Ivory left, humming the Danube Waltz out loud.

AStop that!@ Yoko demanded.

Some of the students to her early class had arrived, and many of them also attended the party the previous night. Yoko stepped out to greet them as usual. One of the students, a young man who sometimes playfully flirts with the female students smiled at Yoko.

AGreetings teacher. Want to dance?@ He asked.

AOh hush!@ Yoko responded.

*****

After a busy day at the dojo, Yoko was finally ready to relax with an evening swim. Dressed in her one-piece dark blue tank top swimsuit, she stuck a toe in the pool to gauge the waters= temperature. She already swam that morning, but that was no big deal. She=d swim all day if she could. Her big brother once claimed she must be part fish to enjoy swimming that much. She was never interested in competitive swimming, though she could=ve been very good. She enjoyed just being in the water. Maybe someday she=ll try some marathon swimming.

Upon her reflections, she thought her party was a big hit the previous night. Her old friends, students, and new friends from Cyndy=s group all had a good time. And James had a good time too, even if she did have to give him a hard time for leaving as abruptly as he did. It was a big surprise that Suzi took a sudden interest in him. She=ll need to be a little watchful regarding that. She also needed to think of more activities to invite or lure him to; preferably something a little more private.

Yoko picked up her blue bathing cap to put on her head, and started to tuck her ponytails in. Suddenly she dropped the cap on the floor. She bent down to pick it up. Without warning, she spun around, delivering a right palm strike to the chin of the tall man behind her. The man stumbled a little bit, which was enough for Yoko to grab him at his left arm, and power him down to his knees with a submitting hold. Gone was the gentle way she taught her students; in its place was the aggressive, more savage approach she used in her challenges. In this mode, the battle wasn=t over until the attacker was pleading for her to stop, or more likely incapacitated.

Yoko gave a quick scan of her visitor. Yes, he looked like the same man who attacked her the other night, ski mask and all. She probed an area on his hip with her toe. He squirmed and grunted in pain. Yes, this was the man alright.

AI left the back door unlocked for you this time, wasn=t that nice of me? I didn=t think you=d be stupid enough to try it twice, but you proved me wrong. Ivory, our guest is here!@ She said, raising her voice to summon her sister.

Ivory, already dressed for bed in blue plaid flannel boxers and a red tank top, rushed in from the living room to see their unexpected guest. Yoko by that time rested a bare sole upon his head, increasing the pressure of the hold.

AI don=t appreciate people breaking into my house, much less attacking me from behind,@ she hissed. AI don=t own a gun, but believe me, I can make you wish you were shot. This is too cowardly for a challenge, and I know a common crook has sense enough to avoid the house of a known martial artist. So I will ask you this question only once: who sent you?@

In response, the man cussed and called the duet names that were not very flattering, along with threatening to hurt them very bad. Yoko and Ivory looked at each ohter.

AFor your sake, you better not be left-handed,@ Yoko said as she gave a sudden twist. The man screamed as he felt the dislocation of his left arm. AIt=d be a little hard to do what you proposed to do to us with one arm, wouldn=t it? Maybe I should roll you in the pool to cool off.@

The man was curling up, whimpering in pain, cradling his injured arm.

AWell I asked,@ Yoko replied. AWe=re not going to get any answers that way. I=m going to hold him still; Ivory, you grab his ski mask.@

The man, using his good arm, slapped the surface of the pool, sending water toward the two women, which they easily avoided. And despite it being a feeble distraction, it gained him enough time to struggle to his feet and hobble away, bouncing off equipment and other obstacles like a human pinball. Ivory started after him in pursuit, but Yoko placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

ALet me get him, Yoko. I want to break him in two for what he said to me,@ Ivory said.

AAnd you=ll get your chance,@ Yoko replied. To the fleeing man, she said, AYou can=t hide, we=ll find you. And tell your master next time to meet me face to face, not hide behind some faceless flunky. And the door is to your left!@

AI see you gave him another >mark,= but how are you so sure we=ll find him?@

AIn the movies, the captured henchmen and assassins never carry anything in their pockets.@

AOkay.@

AHowever, this isn=t the movies,@ Yoko said as she held up a few papers. AThis was in his jacket. I=ll have to sit down in the morning and go through this, but I see two things that immediately stand out. One looks like directions here, and the other is this.@ She held up an orange business card.

AFlaming Tigers Karate Academy? And they=re here in town? I never heard of them.@

ANeither have I. I=m going to wait a few days, then pay them a visit. Until that time, we=ll send the word out to our friends. I want our guest brought back here. He might be nicer to us. He might even answer a question or two. If not, he=s all yours.@

AIf you find out everything, we may not need him for questioning,@ Ivory said.

ATrue, but that would make things easier for you, wouldn=t it?@

Ivory smiled. AYes, it would.@

*****

It was movie night at Dave=s place. The gathering however only consisted of three people, Dave, Kate, and Ilsa. Since Kate agreed to take on Yoko for him, Dave thought it would only be a sign of good faith to show her what she was in for. Once he told Kate about the infamous DVD, she almost dropped everything and cancelled her appointments to come over and see it. Since Dave at the moment had more than enough time on his hands due to his week-long suspension, he told them to come whenever she was free. To his surprise, it was the next night Kate appeared at his door with Ilsa in tow. Kate wore a classic kung fu outfit - a silk black long sleeve jacket with matching black trousers with black slippers and white stockings. Ilsa just wore blue jeans, a black sweatshirt, and black croc clogs, that she kicked off as soon as she entered the apartment. Like magic, she pulled out three bags of microwave popcorn. This relived Dave, who dug out three bottles of water; two of them he tossed to his guests.

AI told Ilsa I just couldn=t wait to see this little movie of yours,@ Kate said. AI didn=t think it existed.@

AI=ve seen it a couple of times already, but I need to warn you, it gets a little graphic in some places. Not that you=re not used to violence, but this is different,@ Dave explained.

AI don=t understand; why did this gang attack her dojo anyway?@ Ilse asked.

AThe Scorpions wanted to enlarge their turf, so they tried to intimidate this aikido studio into paying protection. Not a bright move if you ask me.@

AStreet gangs are not known for being bright,@ Kate remarked.

AWell there you go. Let me pop the popcorn for you, and we=ll be ready to go,@ Dave offered, but Ilse stopped him.

ANo, I=ll do it. You just sit down, and I=ll take care of it,@ she said as she headed into the kitchen. Dave tentatively sat on the couch next to Kate.

AI keep getting this paranoid feeling she=s inspecting my kitchen,@ he said in a low voice.

AThat=s all right. You=ll be in real trouble when she starts scrubbing your kitchen,@ Kate replied in the same tone.

AShe=ll do that?@

Kate nodded. AI=ve seen her do it.@

Dave sat there, unsure of what to do, when Ilse reappeared with the three bowls of popcorn. Apparently he passed the test. She sat them down on the table and sat down on the sofa next to Dave, pulling her socked feet under her.

ALet=s turn off the lights,@ Ilse offered.

Before Dave could move, Kate did the honors. She looked at Dave and said, ALet=s do it!@

Dave used the remote to turn on the show.

The dojo for all intents and purposes, looked like any other dojo in the area. The class was large, and split into several groups. Dave pointed to a younger Yoko, who was resting on her knees patiently waiting her turn to practice a technique.

AAnd there she is,@ he said. AHer looks really haven=t changed a whole lot.@

AI=ve been told orientals age slowly,@ Kate replied.

ALet=s hope that=s true,@ Ilse remarked.

The peaceful scene was suddenly disrupted by the front doors flying open, and the Scorpions, dressed in gang colors, poured in and scattered throughout the dojo.

AHey!@ A young man said. He happened to be standing by the door. AYou can=t just charge in here like that!@

In response, one man punched him in the stomach, and two others tossed him in a supply closet.

AThat man had a yellow belt?@ Kate asked.

AI think so, yeah,@ Dave said.

AApparently he forgot his training regarding oncoming threats.@

Ilse kept eating popcorn.

Next came mass chaos. Many who could, fled the scene to hide in the changing rooms, restrooms, or make their way to the rear exit. The Scorpion leader pointed a finger at the teacher.

AYou should=ve paid attention, old man! Now you can see what happens to those who mess with us!@ He yelled.

The teacher tried to object, but then he had to fend off an attack.

Throughout the dojo, there were those who forgot their training, and fought the gangbangers on their terms, which was disastrous. There were some who knew their training, but was still green when it came to actual conflict, and were partially successful. Finally, there were those who remembered their training to the best of what they knew at the time, and were successful. Gideon could be seen in the background throwing Scorpions left and right. The camera started backing up, and a Athunk@ could be heard.

AWhat was that?@ Kate asked.

AIt took me seeing it twice, but that=s our cameraman backing into a supply closet.@

AHow brave,@ Kate scoffed.

One woman not far from the camera, intercepted her first attacker with an arm pin. She was a white belt, and despite her little victory, she didn=t know what to do next. Two other men tackled her, and started kicking her and pulling off her gi.

APoor girl,@ Ilse said.

AShe had that one guy, gotta give her credit for that,@ Kate replied.

Meanwhile a man with a butcher knife attacked Yoko. She delivered a sankyo, except she delivered it hard enough to break his wrist. She saw what was happening to her classmate, which distracted her long enough to reach for his neck instead of reaching lower. She gave a quick twist, and instead of him being thrown, he sunk to the ground instead, not moving.

ADid she?@ Ilse asked.

AI think she did,@ Kate said.

AYes she did,@ Dave said.

On the DVD, the three men suddenly stopped what they were doing to the downed woman, and looked toward Yoko and her victim.

AJos_!@ One of them screamed.

AYou=re going to pay for that, you-@ another one of them said, but some noise in the background drowned out the rest of his statement.

AI don=t need to read lips to know what he said,@ Kate commented.

AWatch carefully,@ Dave said.

AFor what?@

The three men charged Yoko, their murderous intent clear from the looks on their faces. In the next ten seconds, the young aikidoist sent each one to the dojo floor, unmoving. Somewhere in the middle, a young man was pulling the other woman away while she yelled, AWe need to help Yoko!@

AHelp her? She needs no help,@ Ilse said.

AI barely saw that. It=s like she waved her arms, and three men fell dead,@ Kate blurted out.

AI saw it three times, and I=m not sure. I thought you would catch it, being the karate woman and all,@ Dave said.

AYes, karate, as in striking. If this woman hit each of them ten times, I could tell you what blow it was. This is aikido, which is completely different. I didn=t know you could kill with it, until now.@

AAh! That one man had both his arm and neck broken at the same time; I didn=t know that was possible,@ Ilse said. Her popcorn almost finished, she leaned on Dave the way one would during a scary movie.

On the DVD, the leader of the Scorpions saw the carnage, and ran to confront Yoko. He delivered a flying sidekick while pulling his gun out of his pants. Yoko powered the leg up, sending him flying head over heels, gun flying, and landing fatally on his head.

AI know what move that was,@ Kate said. AThat was a move taken from a Jet Li movie, the stuff you do with wires. No wonder the idiot got snuffed.@

They continued to watch the DVD as the violence ended as quickly as it began, with the Scorpions fleeing, carrying their wounded. The teachers and students tended to their injured as well, while straightening up the dojo. The lead teacher however, was drawn to a small crowd, which surrounded five bodies. Sitting on her knees in front of the corpses was Yoko, who slowly looked up at her teacher.

AI fought them off the best I could, teacher.@

AYoko, what have you done?@ The teacher gasped.

AHe=s not serious, is he?@ Kate said.

AYeah; I looked him up on the >net yesterday. He=s supposed to be an advocate of nonviolence as well as one of the leading aikido instructors around here. Word on the street says this battle led to a rift between him and Yoko, and she left not long after that,@ Dave explained.

AA rift over what?@ Ilse asked.

AYoko=s methods.@

ALet me get this straight,@ Kate said as the DVD ended. AThese rejects from West Side Story show up and plan to do some heavy bodily harm to everyone in this dojo, and the teacher gets mad at Yoko because she took five of them out, instead of turning the other cheek and having peace talks with them?@

AThat sizes it up, yes.@

ANo wonder she left. I would too.@

ABut she saved people, I don=t understand,@ Ilse said.

Dave just shrugged.

AKate, I don=t think you should fight this woman,@ Ilse pleaded.

AIlse, it=s not going to be a fight to the death, I=m just going to show her who the alpha female is around here. Besides, she receives challenges from people all the time, I=m told, no big deal,@ Kate reasoned.

AI don=t know.@

AIlse, this isn=t like you. You normally cheer me on in challenges like this. What=s so different about this?@

AI can=t put a finger on it. Maybe it=s the way she moves, maybe it=s how easily she can break people. I don=t know; do what you like.@

AIf it helps, this DVD shown us a fight that took place fifteen years ago,@ Dave interjected in an attempt to be helpful. Both women looked at him.

AAnd?@ Kate said.

AShe=s probably a little slower now.@

Kate lightly put a hand on Dave=s arm. ADave, this is the martial arts we=re talking about, not football or baseball where a player is >past their prime.= My sensei=s mother is sixty, and she could punch holes through those thugs we just saw. It=s like a fine wine; it gets better with age. I appreciate the help though. Ilse, I=ll only challenge her once, okay? I do give her props for what she did at that dojo, she deserves credit for that.@

AAll right,@ Ilse said, turning her head dismissingly, let moving close to Dave at the same time. ADo we have any other DVD=s to watch?@

AYes we do!@ Dave said as he shot up from the sofa. He didn=t want them running across his adult entertainment section. AI think I have one we all like.@

As he put another DVD in the player, Ilse whipped out some more popcorn, and trotted into the kitchen.

AIlse would make a good magician,@ Dave said.

AIlse is a woman of many talents,@ Kate remarked. ASo how do we get the word out?@

ALeave that to me, I got it covered. Just give me the night and time, and I=ll have it delivered.@

ASounds like a plan.@

Ilse came back with two bowls instead of three filled with popcorn. Handing the regular bowl to Kate, she said to Dave, AI forgot to bring one of the bowls with me, so we=ll need to share this one.@

Kate smiled to herself as she turned off one of the lights.

*****

James walked home from work as usual, with a sense of accomplishment. He was finally making his way through that accountant=s nightmare Brad handed him. He worked on it a lot, almost neglecting his other clients, and considered asking Brad if his company undertook something like this again, he should let him handpick the accountant, or make sure he or she came from a reputable firm.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he didn=t notice a car pull up alongside him until the horn was honked. James jumped at the sound, then prepared to run when he saw who it was.

AHello James,@ Dave said. ANo, don=t run, I just want you to deliver a message for me.@

AWhat=s that?@ James asked warily.

ASince you and Yoko have gotten acquainted with each other, I wanted you to tell her that Karate Killer Kate will be making a visit at her house two nights from now. She might want to get ready.@

AReady for what?@

AAw, come on, James; you=re a bright boy, you can figure it out. Or maybe not; just tell her, all right?@

ATwo nights from now,@ James repeated.

AThat=s right. Have a good night.@ Dave sped off.

The next few minutes walking home for James was spent wondering if he should call Yoko tonight or in the morning to tell her the news. He finally concluded to tell her later; nothing could be done about it tonight.

*****

Kate was feeling pretty excited about her upcoming battle with Yoko. On the day before the fight, she had three sessions; a little smaller than her usual number, but she didn=t want to over-practice for the occassion.

She planned to dust off some of her best moves, like a spinning backwards kick, and double backfist. A speeding elbow to the ribs, then a then a hammering sidekick to the head. A flying sidekick to the face, two straight punches to the thighs to immobilize her, then finish her off with propelling her stiffened toes to her chin. She won=t be much good after that.

Kate looked down at the broken body of her third client. She was daydreaming again. He shouldn=t be as hard to revive as the second client was earlier. She had to change him back into his street clothes, and place him in an alley before calling 911 to leave an anonymous tip. The police shouldn=t have any problems believing his story.

The beaten man moaned. Kate was relieved. Leaving your clients semi-comatose was bad for business; they needed to be awake to receive the full experience.

After sending her client away (hopefully he=d get himself examined), Kate retreated to the workout room to exhaust the remainder of her excitement on a heavy bag. At least it won=t break when she hit it.

*****

AAlways have a backup plan,@ Dave heard somewhere. Maybe it was a movie somewhere. In any case, it was a tactic he always tried to employ.

He had seen both Yoko and Kate in action. Both were women he wouldn=t want to face in any alley, it didn=t matter if it was dark or not. He had no idea who would win when the two faced off, even though he was rooting for Kate. The battle would be brutal, bloody, and ugly, that he had no doubt. But who would be left standing?

He picked up his phone and made a few calls. He still knew a few people. These men would be more likely to bust heads first, and ask questions later; just what he=s looking for.

He didn=t tell Kate he was bringing backup, but he wasn=t bound by the same rules of honor Kate or Yoko abided by. For him, the rules of the street applied, and they dictated that you brought as much firepower as humanly possible to win. And he considered this a Ano lose@ situation. If Kate defeated Yoko, he=d win; if Yoko won, she=d be too worn out by Kate to beat his posse. Even if she ran, his guys would be there to intercept her, and teach her what happens when you mess with Dave.

Dave sat back and smiled. Sometimes he was too brilliant for his own good.

*****

James walked to work as usual, but with a load of things on his mind. Who is this AKarate Killer Kate@ Dave was sending after Yoko? And what will she do when she finds out? If he knew her schedule, he=d call her, but he=d need to wait a while. At this time in the morning, she may still be in bed, or performing her morning swim. Maybe he could relay the message through her sister.

It turned out he didn=t need to bother, for when he finally turned his head and saw a Sports Trac pickup - Yoko=s pickup - moving beside him on the road.

AI was wondering when you=d notice me,@ Yoko said, laughing. AI must=ve followed you for two blocks before you saw me.@

AI have a lot of things on my mind,@ James replied.

AYou remind me of a puppy I had once. Whenever he was confused or concerned, he would always give me a perplexed look; like what you=re doing.@

James stopped walking and checked himself, which was hard to do without a mirror. The effort made Yoko laugh even more. AI have an important message to give you,@ he said.

AThen you can give it to me tonight,@ she countered.

ATonight?@

AYes, you will be receiving the finest in Japanese cuisine by the best cook of Japanese cuisine in town.@

AWho=s that?@

AMe! Dinner will be at seven forty-five at my place.@

ASeven forty-five; sounds like a strange time.@

AWell considering the work you=ve been burdened with lately had made you late to my other social functions, I figured I=d give you a head start.@

AI=ll be there on time, I promise.@

AGood, I=ll be holding you to that. Meanwhile, I have a few other errands to make, so I=ll see you tonight at eight o=clock.@

AI thought you said seven forty-five.@

AI did, I just wanted to see that look on your face again. Bye-bye!@

As she sped off, James wondered what she was up to, and what had he gotten himself into. Then he realized he was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk a block from work, and people were starting to give him funny looks. He straightened up and walked briskly to his office.

*****

AYou=re still not too crazy about me going through with this, are you?@ Kate said as she worked out. Dressed in red short shorts, and a red T-shirt, she was delivering punches and kicks into a heavy bag.

AI did not say anything,@ Ilse said. She was wearing less, decked out in a black bra and panties. She was lying down, giving bench presses.

AYou don=t have to, it=s written all over your face.@ She stopped hitting the heavy bag and started on her kata. AAre you afraid she might be too dangerous? You don=t think she=ll try to kill me, do you?@

ANein! Ilse exploded as she slammed the weights down. She got up, picked up a pair of fingerless gloves, and started hitting the bag. AI do not think she=s psychotic enough to kill the first person she=s at odds with her. I believe she can engage you without using lethal force.@

AWell come on, Ilse, what is it? You=re my friend, you can tell me,@ Kate continued as she threw two punches and three quick kicks to her imaginary opponent.

Ilse speeded up her punches for a few seconds before she stopped. AYou and I both know she=s innocent. She clearly defended herself on that DVD, and she=s not guilty of any wrongdoing now. You want to prove yourself, show everyone you=re the alpha female in town. Considering the nature of your business, I understand that. But this isn=t some punk to be knocked around. Come to think of it, do you even know why Dave wants you to beat her?@

AIlse, you know I don=t ask too many questions. My business hinges on keeping confidences. Besides, this is an interesting thing to say about the man who=s butt you groped the other night.@

Ilse displayed a small grin. AOh; you saw that, did you?@ She said.

AYes; it was nice and subtle, enough for Dave to turn around and wonder what he bumped into.@

AWell he does have a nice butt. Nice and firm, you can get a good grip.@

AOkay, I got it. Look, I already issued the challenge, or rather Dave had. I don=t plan on treating her like my customers; she=s too good for that. We=ll do a little sparring, and then I=ll defeat her in honorable combat, that=s all. Then you can take Dave and have your way with him.@

Ilse looked at Kate for a long moment, then nodded her head. AAll right, so be it. I=m going to take a shower, I have a busy day.@ She walked toward the shower room, pulling off her underwear on the way to the entrance.

Kate watched her longtime friend leave. She was right, Yoko wasn=t some punk that needed to be taught a lesson, nor was she one of her regular customers who get a pleasure out of being beat to a pulp by a woman. And from what she saw on the DVD, she was real good; never mind the fact that her botched moves killed five punks, it still took skill to fight like that. She also had to admit she was curious why Dave wanted her beat.

But she was Karate Killer Kate, darn it! The mistress of the beatdown, the alpha female among women warriors. And Yoko=s very existence disproved that. If Dave didn=t come to her, she would have to make the challenge eventually.

She promised Ilse that it would be an honorable challenge, and it will. However, she couldn=t be held responsible if a few bruises, or a crippling injury suddenly occurred in the heat of the battle, could she?

*****

Before he even reached the threshold of Yoko=s house/dojo, James could smell the aroma of what she fixed for dinner. If it tasted half as good as it smelled, it would be a tasty fare indeed. As he rang the doorbell, James received a mild surprise. Yoko answered the door dressed in a brown long-sleeve dress of a stain-like material. She wore shiny tan pantyhose, but no shoes. She lifted up a foot as she greeted James.

AHello James,@ Yoko greeted. ACome on in. I planned to wear the shoes that go with the dress, but I couldn=t find them. Give me an >A= for effort though. Besides, in Japan, they take them off before they enter the house anyway.@

The truth was James didn=t even notice the shoes, or lack of. For his eyes were focused on Yoko=s hair. The ponytails were gone now. In their place was long shiny black hair that flowed over her shoulders. It brought out a rather mature beauty to her face.

AIt=s no problem,@ he managed to say as Yoko led him to the dining room. There, he saw the spread that was placed before him. AWill I need chopsticks?@

Yoko laughed. AThat=s Chinese food, not Japanese,@ she said as they sat down. AAnd the only way I can use them would be by stabbing my food. Bow your head, please.@

After she gave thanks, they began to eat. James had eaten Japanese cuisine before, at a Japanese restaurant during an accountants= convention a few years ago. It was very tasty. The food he was eating now was just as good, maybe better than what he had before. Apparently she=s as good a cook as she was a martial artist. As he savored his dish, he noticed Yoko looking at him expectantly.

AThe meal is very good,@ he said.

AThank you. I=m glad you like it,@ she replied. AI have some desert in the oven, would you like some?@

AYes I would.@

As they finished their desert, James thought this would be as good a time as any. AYoko, I have something to tell you,@ he said.

AAh yes, the important message you have for me. What is it?@ Yoko said.

ADave talked to me on my way home from work last night. He didn=t attack me, he just wanted to give you a message.@

AHow delightful! I don=t suppose it would be an apology now, would it?@

ANo, he said that Karate Killer Kate was going to pay you a visit tomorrow night. He suggested you should get ready.@

Yoko ate the final piece of her desert. AOh, is that all?@ She said, unconcerned.

AYoko, I think he=s sending her to beat you up!@

AOf course; I wouldn=t expect anything else.@

AYou=re not concerned?@

ANo, tomorrow isn=t here yet. Karate Killer Kate, I heard that name before. Ah, now I remember. Interesting.@

AWhat?@

AKarate Killer Kate is a dominatrix in town. Men and some women pay her to beat them up. Apparently she also makes house calls.@

AThat=s insane!@ James erupted.

AYes it is. I wouldn=t do it. Would you like some more desert?@

AYoko, how can you be so casual about this? And yes, I=ll take another piece, thank you.@

After serving the second piece of desert, Yoko propped her elbows on the table, and rested her chin on her palms. AOnce you=ve had your life threatened, someone coming by to beat you up doesn=t sound nearly as bad. Besides, as you have seen a few days ago, I can take care of myself,@ she explained.

AYes, that=s true, but she knows karate; she doesn=t sound like one of those thugs you trashed the other day.@

ASlow down James; no need to gobble your food,@ Yoko chided. AKarate, boxing, ninja, it makes no difference. When I=m attacked, I=ll defend, simple as that. Aikido is almost entirely defensive. The attacker has to make the first move in order for me to engage. If they are silly enough to attack, make the first move, their destruction is eminent.@

AI don=t get it,@ James admitted, shaking his head.

AOf course you don=t, it=s counter to the standard way of thinking. It=s funny; in some circles, I=m considered a killer, a monster for an act of self-defense I committed years ago, yet Kate on a regular basis beats people to a pulp, and she=s considered a businesswoman with an alternative lifestyle. Let me take your plate, James, I=ll be back with some more tea.@

The two were sitting at a round table in the dining room, with both parties sitting on opposite ends. When Yoko returned, she took a chair and sat next to James.

AYou see, people like Dave and Kate are the real >monsters,= not caring about who they hurt in order to get financial gain or power. Yet that=s what some people call me.@ Yoko looked directly at James. ALook into my eyes, James. Do you see a monster?@

James looked, and didn=t realize at first that those eyes were getting closer. Before he could utter a reply, strong hands clasped the back of his neck, and pulled him forward into a deep kiss from Yoko. He struggled at first, but he eventually complied. After a long moment, Yoko released him and stroked his cheek.

AI concur; I don=t think I=m one either,@ she whispered. James prepared to utter something, but Yoko put a finger on his lips. AI know what you=re thinking. Don=t worry about it. Let=s deal with the here and now. You=re here, and I=m here together, right now.@ She kissed his cheek.

AWhat I was trying to say was I=d like to help,@ James blurted out.

AOh. The fact that you=re with me now helps a whole lot. It took a whole lot of planning and scheming to bring you here in my arms.@

AA lot of >planning and scheming?=@

AIf you didn=t keep running out as soon as church was over, I would=ve got you sooner. As it was, I had to hurry, lest Suzi grabbed you.@

ANow she sort of scares me.@

AYoko kissed him on the lips and placed both hands on his cheeks. AYou should be, she=s rather mysterious. You want to help me? Then let=s enjoy this evening, and let tomorrow take care of itself.@

*****

Ivory came home from her movie later that evening, and was greeted by the sound of singing. She entered the kitchen to see Yoko, still dressed in her dress, doing dishes.

AThe dinner went well, I take it?@ She asked.

AIt went wonderful,@ Yoko breathed. AHe=s all mine now.@

AI=m glad to hear it. He must be something for Suzi to take an interest in him, and we weren=t sure if she liked anybody.@

AIt=s nothing I have to worry about; she kind of scares him.@

AAnd he=s smart to boot! You=ll need to take him to see this movie, Yoko, it=s very good.@

AI=ll remember that. Ivory, I received another challenge,@ Yoko said.

AIn the middle of dinner?@

ANo, no; Dave told James to relay the message that I need to get ready tomorrow night.@

AIn advance? They usually barge into the dojo and demand to fight. He=s not coming by to fight you, is he?@

ANo, Karate Killer Kate will be my opponent.@

AThe kinky woman?@ Ivory said, her African accent emerging on the word Akinky.@ AI=m sure you can handle her.@

AOh, I know that; I need to go after Dave, and I know he=s too afraid of me now to just have one person to hide behind.@

ASo you=ll need backup. I=ll watch your back.@

AI know, but I also want a few others, just to keep things interesting. A couple of our friends here, and our new ones. I=m sure they=ll help out. Oh no!@

AWhat=s wrong?@

AJames said he wanted to help out. That=s sweet, but I=m afraid he=ll get himself hurt.@

Ivory thought for a moment. ALeave that to me,@ she said. She then pulled out a chair and sat in it. ASo tell me about it.@

AAbout the >kinky woman?=@ Yoko asked, imitating Ivory=s accent.

ANo, about your dinner with James!@

Yoko told her. Ivory stood up, batted her eyes, and said, ADo you think I=m a monster, James?@ in a seductive voice, then made kissing noises. She ducked, narrowly avoiding Yoko=s thrown dishrag.

AHey, it worked! It got him to stop worrying about Kate, and to focus on us. He could hardly remember Kate or even Dave after I got through with him.@

AWell aren=t you the charmer! I better tell James to look out for you!@ Ivory dodged a scrubber.

AYou=ll tell him nothing! Just because you=re a fancy sumo wrestler doesn=t mean I can=t put you over my knee,@ Yoko warned.

AYou=ll have to catch me first!@ Ivory left the room while Yoko looked for other things to throw at her. She stopped long enough to peek around the corner and say, AKiss me James,@ and make smooching noises, where she was beaned by a damp washrag.

AGotcha!@ Yoko cried.

*****

Getting a hold of some of Yoko=s and Ivory=s friends, and asking them to help was almost too easy. In fact, they almost volunteered before they asked what it was they were volunteering for. Yoko=s new friends would be seem to be a more delicate matter.

Being an aikidoist herself, Yoko wanted to ask those who practiced aikido, or something similar. Those adept at karate or judo would be welcome of course, but this would be an opportunity to talk shop about technique and compare styles.

Jane was the first woman that came to mind. When they first met, Jane, a wrestler, chatted to Yoko about the style of wrestling she was now practicing, called Shoai Jiao, or fast wrestling. Her argument was that this discipline, a Chinese martial art, had something in common with aikido, a Japanese martial art. Yoko=s game plan was to ask Jane for assistance, and to get the number of others who could also assist.

When she called Jane=s cell phone, she struck paydirt. Jane was at Ann=s dojo, demonstrating her argument with Ann, Jamie, and Heidi. Yoko asked Jane to switch to speaker phone, so she could explain her plight only once. They all jumped at the opportunity. Yoko gave her thanks, said goodbye and hung up.

ASo how did it go?@ Ivory asked.

AAlmost too easy. Jane just happened to be at Ann=s dojo explaining her art to Ann, Jamie, and Heidi. They said yes.@

AGood. So Heidi was with them? She doesn=t practice aikido. She said she=s quite happy with just knowing sumo.@

AMaybe she likes hanging around aikido women. What=s so funny, Ivory?@

Ivory stopped to take a breath. AI just thought of that children=s show, >Clifford, the Big Red Dog,= and the two normal-sized dogs he hung around with,@ she said.

A>Heidi, the redhead sumo?= Oh, that=s funny. I wouldn=t share it with Heidi, though she seems to have a good sense of humor,@ Yoko said. AHey, I just thought of something.@

AWhat=s that?@

AWith all this extra help I recruited, I better hope Dave runs true to form; otherwise, I won=t know what to do with them.@

AWe could always have another party.@

*****

On Friday, James was able to concentrate on his work only through sheer force of will. He couldn=t stop himself from thinking about the match, fight, duel, or whatever it was that would occur that evening. He almost called Yoko three times that morning, before he finally told himself that he worked for a living. At lunchtime, Yoko came by to take him out to lunch. After lunch, they had a short walk through a park, Yoko=s bare feet kicking aside the fall leaves, impervious to the November chill. She told him that she was very flattered by his concern, but everything was taken care of. All he needed to do was go home, relax, and read a good book. Before he could object, or say anything else, Yoko grabbed him and kissed him again, erasing anything that was on his mind.

James came back to work floating on Cloud Nine, though he tried without success to hide it from his receptionist (any receptionist would know something is up when their boss wandered into the broom closet instead of their office).

That night, James sat at home reading a good book, when Yoko=s spell wore off.

I have to do something, he thought, as he tossed the book aside, threw on his jacket, and ran down the steps to his car.

AI=m coming, Yoko,@ he said as he turned the ignition.

Nothing.

*****

Kate and Dave found that the door to the dojo was open, so they went on in. Dave, dressed in black - turtleneck, jacket, slacks, shoes, socks - was striding beside his champion, like a trainer with his prizefighter. Kate had a black long coat covering her outfit. She bounced up and down on her bare toes in anticipation for this event. It had been a while since she encountered an opponent in a martial arts challenge. She still had fond memories of the last time, leaving the other fighter in a mass of bruises, possible internal injuries, and a concussion. The battlefield was a dirt playground. She had a thrill leaving the yellowish brown hard ground decorated with spots of red.

There was one light that was on, almost like a spotlight, shining in the middle of the dojo floor. And there stood Yoko. If her two challengers expected her to be rightly dressed for the occasion, they were sorely disappointed. Yoko wore a powder blue tank top shirt with yellow stirrup tights. Her hair was back in her standard two upbraided ponytails, and if she appeared anxious, angry, or scared, she didn=t show it from the neutral expression on her face.

AI see you received my message,@ Dave sneered.

Yoko, who was watching Kate, barely turned to face Dave, almost regarding him as an afterthought. AYes I did. I=m just wondering when it=s going to be your turn,@ she replied, sounding a little bored.

AHa, that=s funny. No, this is my champion, Karate Killer-@

AI know who she is,@ Yoko interrupted. AI believe we both know of each other. You shouldn=t have done this, Dave.@

ANo one tells me what to do, and no one gets one over on me. After Kate finishes with you, you=ll be lucky if you can even walk.@

Yoko now turned her full gaze on Dave. AYou better hope that=s true, because after I=m through with her, I=m coming after you,@ she said. AThose injuries that I sent your friends to the hospital with will be nothing compared to what I will do to you.@

Kate wondered for a moment what friends of Dave got sent to the hospital, and what was it about, but she put it away. It was showtime. Handing her coat to Dave, she strutted onto the dojo floor. She was donned in a red gi with black trim. A red bandanna was wrapped around her forehead, and fire engine red toenail polish adorned her feet.

AI=m going to take a wild guess here; red is your favorite color?@ Yoko asked. ALike the toenails by the way.@

AYes, red is the color of blood, your blood that will flow upon the floor. And thank you about the toenails,@ Kate replied.

AYou=re welcome. I don=t know how Dave roped you into this, but at least you were a little more formal in your challenge than most people are.@

AOh really?@

AYes, I get them all the time. They usually barge in here demanding to fight. I=m sure Dave told you about the >buried treasure= I supposedly have? No? Figures.@

Buried treasure? ANo matter; after I=m through, you=ll be teaching your classes from a wheelchair.@

AMore of the trash talking. Tell me, >Karate Killer Kate,= have you ever killed anybody?@ Yoko asked.

Kate was not expecting that question, but recovered in stride. ANo; maybe I=ll start with you,@ she responded.

Yoko shook her head. ANo you haven=t. If you did, you wouldn=t carry that title.@

AWho are you to tell me what title I should carry? No one who took me on ever doubted it. You=ll see I=m the true alpha female in town,@ Kate hissed.

Yoko wore a small grin. AOf course, it all makes sense now. It=s all about your rep, isn=t it? Since James told me you were coming to get me, I wondered, >why would Karate Killer Kate come after me?= Frankly, I didn=t think Dave could afford you. But considering your whole line of work is based on reputation, I can see where a few people speaking of my >elaborate feats= could get to you. So, did someone ask >have you fought Yoko yet,= or something like that? I bet that made your fee to Dave affordable.@

AFor your information, I=m doing this for free. Yeah, I=ll admit kicking your tail would boost my reputation, but this is to shut people up. Now shut up and fight!@

AI=ll give you one last chance to stand down, Kate,@ Yoko said.

ANo, and you can call me mistress!@ Kate demanded.

AVery well, >mistress,= let=s get it over with; I have things to do.@

Kate=s gi pants were breakaway pants; they quickly released their snaps with one strong tug. Next, she untied her gi jacket. The karateka/dominatrix was now wearing a red sports bra and red bicycle shorts with black trim.

AI like to be comfortable when I fight,@ she said.

AMakes sense to me,@ Yoko replied.

Kate fell into a ready stance, staring fiercely at Yoko, who just stood there. AHai!@ She yelled, which didn=t get a response either. Well if she wants me to just kick her head off, it=s her funeral. She ran forward to deliver a straight punch to Yoko=s face. But Yoko wasn=t there to receive it. Instead she felt a hand on her forearm pulling her forward into a speeding forearm that connected with her upper chest. The blow knocked her off her feet, and onto her back. She wasn=t hurt or stunned, just surprised. She also knew it was a message that said, AI could have hurt you if I wanted to.@ That made her angrier.

Yoko seemed to read her mind. AYou think you=re the first karate expert to challenge me? I=ve had all kinds come into my home to get a piece of me. And you guys think the same thing: run in, throw a kick or punch, and it=s all over with. At least give me some respect,@ she said.

Kate got up, subconsciously rubbing her chest. AMessage received,@ she replied. AI deserved that. But before I came here, I watched clips of your sensei in action. I know all the basic moves you folks do. Enjoy your shot while you can, you won=t get another.@

Yoko sighed. AThen you made your first mistake.@ And to the astonishment of Kate and Dave both, she sat down cross-legged on the floor. AMy sensei and I parted company a long time ago, you can guess why. I found another sensei who understood the real world a little better, and that=s where I earned my black belt. But what capped things off was my week-long trip to Japan. Did you know a lot of the martial arts here in the states are watered down? Karate too. I said all that to tell you that except for the very basic principles, what my ex-sensei practices and what I practice are two different things. There are around seven different styles of aikido, did you know that? There are those who want to deem my style number eight. All right,@ she got to her feet. AI=ve told you more about my discipline now than I have in the majority of my previous challenges. Let=s get this over with.@

AWait a minute. What=s so different about your style?@ Kate asked.

AIt=s quicker to learn, but it=s more brutal, and potentially crippling than the other styles.@

That made Kate pause for a moment. AI thought aikido was nonviolent and peaceful.@

AOf course it=s peaceful when your attacker is lying facedown in his own blood unconscious. But that=s me,@ Yoko remarked. You=re not the only one who can play head games. AI bet you think karate is one of the more superior arts, don=t you?@

AYes I do!@ Kate said, her ego rising again. AYou=re right, we=re past the time for talking. Get ready for serious pain.@

Yoko watched Kate, ready to predict her next move. The attackers with big egos are always the most predictable, and easy to manipulate. There is no Asuperior@ martial art, that debate is argued only among the ignorant and adolescents on internet forum boards. It was the skill and experience of the fighter that mattered. Kate strolled in like so many other challengers, cocky and full of themselves. But when she realized Yoko wasn=t cowering in fear like her clients, she was a little unsure; enough to effect her performance. For the battle starts in the mind. That valuable tidbit was taught to her by her second sensei.

Kate moved in with a right roundhouse kick. Yoko ran in, grabbed the thigh, and spun her around in an abbreviated version of Acrack the whip,@ landing her face first on the hardwood. Kate broke the fall just in time with her hands. Yoko pondered placing mats down before the duel started, but she decided against it. She wasn=t planing on falling down tonight.

Yoko released Kate, who popped up and tried to hammer her with a combination. Yoko clotheslined her again, landing her hard on her back.

Dave watched this with a growing horror. He remembered what one of his coworkers told him the other day, as well as what Kate and Ilse repeated more recently. People like her get better as they grew older, and the woman he saw now had an extra fifteen years worth of experience, skill, and even reinvented her style altogether. She was throwing Kate around like a ragdoll. It made Kate angry, and the angrier she became, the sloppier she got. Despite the breakfalls she used, the throws were starting to work their toll on Kate. After another botched attack, she stepped back and took a deep breath, eying Yoko warily.

AYou think you=re something, don=t you,@ she breathed.

ANo, I haven=t thought at all. Now why don=t you just go ahead and submit. It=ll save me the trouble of breaking you. I haven=t even used my submission holds yet,@ Yoko said.

The barbed arrow to Kate=s pride hit its target. ANo, I will not submit!@ She roared. AEspecially not to an old hag like you!@

Yoko laughed. AWe=re about the same age, Kate. And that is strange criticism from a woman who makes a living charging perverts who like being used as punching bags.@

Kate screamed and charged Yoko, throwing punches and kicks angrily, abandoning technique. Yoko stepped in, and using her attacker=s momentum, threw Kate up high, landing her flat on her back. The karateka lay stunned, breath knocked out of her, and unable to move.

AStay down,@ Yoko said in a much gentler voice. AThough it may not seem like it at the moment, I have exercised mercy. You have no broken bones, no dislocated limbs, or internal injuries. In time, you=ll be able to work again. Though you said you planned to do this, this initial meeting was not your idea, so I did not wish to really hurt you.@ And then she turned toward Dave. AYou, on the other hand . . .@

Kate could see Dave backing away from Yoko like a man backing away from an angry pit bull. She could see the fear on his face until he reached a certain spot. Then he became his normal cocky self again.

AYou know, I really didn=t know who would win this fight, though I was really rooting for Kate,@ he said. ABut I was told you should always have a backup plan.@

With that, he snapped his fingers, and many men dressed in black suits came in the doorway. They entered the dojo floor, and made a wide circle around Yoko, Dave and Kate, who was still on the floor, startled at this change in events.

AThis . . . this was my fight,@ Kate said weakly.

ANot everyone has a sense of honor, Kate,@ Yoko replied.

ANow I know your fight with Kate had left you a little winded, so even you can=t fight these men off. They=re tougher than any gangbangers,@ Dave said with a smirk, looking at his army before he turned back to Yoko, who was also smirking. AWhat are you grinning about?@

AI=m not tired for one thing, but I=m not in the mood for randori tonight. That=s multiple attackers in Japanese. But I know you=d do something like this, so I arranged some backup of my own.@

Yoko lightly clapped her hands, and several women entered the dojo floor. The men were unsure how to react, but the smile quickly faded from Dave=s face.

AFind a dance partner, ladies, and make sure Kate doesn=t get harmed in the crossfire,@ Yoko commanded.

AAttack!@ Dave cried as he backed away from Yoko. He darted between two roughnecks and fled.

Yoko walked over to Ivory, who was about to face off with a big man with a sneer.

AIvory, go ahead and hold the fort; I=m going hunting,@ she said.

*****

Upon seeing Heidi, the men already designated the task of handling her to their big man, Jared. However, when they saw Jared head toward the much shorter Suzi, two of them decided to tackle the six-foot redhead themselves, it=s no problem. After all, she=s just a big woman; what can she do?

Those who knew Heidi=s prowess in the sumo ring could say quite a bit. As a matter of fact, Heidi herself had found out what she was capable of, and at first it scared her, until she realized she competed against other women who were similar in power. She swore never to take that power and use it the same way she did when she beat those three people up. But when it=s thugs who threatened to beat up her new friend, there was no need to hold back.

The two men didn=t even bother to circle around, they zoomed in for the attack. Standing there in her black sleeveless practice leotard with red spandex shorts, Heidi awaited them.

One of the first misconceptions about sumo wrestlers, especially the heavyweights, men or women, was that they were slow. In a sport where the outcome was determined in seconds, that was not the case. Speed was an essential ingredient in a sumo wrestler=s repertoire. Heidi quickly fired a palm strike that hit the first man on the chin. To the stunned man, it felt like his head was almost ripped off. Heidi then grabbed the second approaching man by his lapel and belt, pivoted, and threw him on his shoulder. A barefooted stomp to the solar plexius shoved the air out of him. Heidi then grabbed the first man, and pushed him on top of the second man. And then she jumped on both of them, knees first. From her position, she pounded them at her leisure. After battering their heads several times, the fight was knocked out of them, along with most of their consciousness.

It wasn=t pretty, but it got the job done, Heidi reflected to herself as she got up from both bodies. Thinking about it, asking Jane to teach her a few lessons in fast wrestling probably wouldn=t hurt. She then stomped both the guts and heads of her newly made Athug sandwich@ to insure they weren=t getting up anytime real soon.

*****

Dressed in white micronet hose, a white tennis skirt, and an oversized white blouse with big dangling sleeves, Li glided across the floor to engage her opponent, a tall, slim street kickboxer who seemed to be light on his feet as well. This actually looked like a possible even match.

Chin na is actually the part of kung fu that contains the seizing and controlling of an opponent. It was originally contained in several kung fu styles, until someone decided to teach it independently. It contains locks, holds, throws, chokes, some vital stikes, and even the infamous Dim Mak or Adeath touch.@ Li jokingly called it aikido=s more lethal cousin, or sometimes entitled it aikido with an attitude.

Like Yoko, Li received the occasional challenge, but unlike her, most of them aren=t out for blood. The last one who was, Li left in a broken and bleeding mess on the dojo floor. Since then, the number of challengers dropped drastically. But then, unlike Yoko, she did it in front of her students and her foe=s audience. It delivered the message quite well.

Unlike Ivory, who dressed in black to blend in, Li=s outfit was the complete opposite. It was so bright, she almost shone in the dim light. It was also a distraction in of itself, for despite the fact you could see everything, the brightness still threw you off as to what would happen next.

It was from this distraction that Li suddenly appeared on the man=s right side, grabbing his right wrist, pulling it across her chest, while her left hand grabbed his left hand. That same hand then shot up to his neck, bending him over backwards. He couldn=t launch a counterattack because his right elbow was in danger of being misplaced. To add to the misery, Li placed pressure on his throat with her left hand applying a soft choke. With her hosed foot, she kicked the man=s legs out from under him, making him fall. The sudden jolt to his elbow made him cry out.

Once he was down, Li dropped his arms, and wrapped the fingers of her right hand around his windpipe, while her other hand grasped his head to keep it still, and a knee planted on one of his arms. He bucked and groped with his free arm to pry her off, but her grip was secure. Shortly his struggles grew weaker and finally still.

Li rose from the unconscious man, and surveyed the room for any oncoming attackers, or if anyone needed help.

*****

After Yoko adopted Ivory as her sister, and they arrived in the states, Ivory shortly became exposed to this unusual martial art called aikido. After being bitten by the aikido bug, she desired to learn more. So much so, years later, her black belt ranking was one of the highest in the area, except for other teachers and her new Asister.@

Then Ivory caught the sumo bug as well, and worked hard on that too. The result of her efforts had her only a few matches from becoming professional. The hours of training had made her body literally big and strong.

Both skills had produced the end result of a big strong woman who was very light on her feet. She could deliver a bone crushing throw or a gentle ikkyo. On top of that, she also knew all of Yoko=s deadly variations on her techniques. Like a good student, she wanted to know everything her teachers had to offer, and again like a good student, she knew how to use what she=d learned.

In short, Ivory was not a woman to mess with.

Since the art of aikido first struck her as an elegant dance, she had dressed up to that effect. She wore a black tank top leotard, with a black wrap around short skirt, which showed off her long muscular legs. The color choice was strategic. Being black herself, this would enable her to hide in the shadows, and to be partially invisible while fighting her opponent.

The large tall man was ready to face off with either her or Heidi, but then he saw Yoko make her exit. He went after her, only to have his way blocked by Suzi. Ivory smiled to herself; she can take care of him. In his place, two men a little shorter than the first man faced her. They apparently saw that she would be rather formidable, because they briefly conferred with each other, and moved to her right and left.

ARemember, she knows aikido, so don=t try to touch her up close,@ the other man said to his partner.

Ivory took a quick second to evaluate her situation. Obviously these men knew what they were doing; they weren=t the dumb thugs Yoko faced earlier that week. It became even more evident when one feigned a kick while the other fired one that barely missed her.

In class, Yoko taught an exercise that she simply called Aspinning.@ There was a Japanese name for it, of course, but she figured the term Aspinning@ was easier to remember. The exercise consisted of tucking ones= arms in, and twirling themselves a revolution or two across the dojo floor. When many of the beginning students asked her what the purpose of the exercise was, Yoko would just smile and say, Arandori,@ and walk away. This would confuse things even further until they either saw what a randori was, or was suddenly involved in one themselves.

Ivory stood on her bare toes, and spun away from the center toward one of the men who just missed her with another kick. Suddenly Ivory was in front of him, and before he could react, she grabbed him by the belt and spun until they switched places. Ivory saw the pained expression on his face as he received a kick to his kidneys that was originally meant for her. Yoko also said in a randori, let your foes do the work for you. The kick was meant to incapacitate, and it did. Ivory threw the man out of her way, and engaged the more able-bodied attacker.

The man was not prepared for Ivory=s speed, and was further unprepared for Ivory=s throw, slamming him on the dojo floor. She sped over to the other man, who was gingerly getting up. There were numerous things she could do to him, but in the end, out of curiosity, she settled for a simple bear hug.

While the first man was still on his knees, Ivory went behind him and applied her hold. He wasn=t a particularly well-built man, which worked more in her favor. Being on his knees, he would not be able to use his size advantage. Ivory was rather curious how strong her sumo training made her, and this man was the perfect guinea pig. There was a few moves in aikido that would free one from a bear hug, but unfortunately this man didn=t know aikido.

Too bad for you, Ivory thought as she increased the pressure.

The spot where he got kicked in the kidney flared up first, along with the obvious pressure on his ribs and spine. Ivory stood in a squat as she squeezed him. She was used to maintaining that stance for long periods of time, so it didn=t bother her. What bothered the man was when he used his breath he would not be getting back right away as his insides were getting pressed together.

When she thought she felt a rib give way was when she released the hold, allowing him to fall to the floor squirming. The other man was struggling to get up while holding his back. Ivory went over to him.

AWhat did you do to him?@ He croaked.

AI >touched= him,@ Ivory said as she raised up her right foot and stomped it on his head, fading all to black.

*****

While Yoko took up aikido when she was a teenager, Ann was practically born and raised in an aikido dojo. Ann=s parent=s lived next door to a dojo. One day when she was a ten-year-old, she wandered over and saw these people in black skirts throwing each other. From then on, she was hooked. Finally she was told to come in and watch. Soon the little Amascot@ was imitating the moves with the others. Her parents had no problem with their child hanging around a dojo. They always knew where she was, and what safer place was there for a child? It wasn=t a problem for Ann to start receiving lessons soon after that.

By the time she was sixteen, while most kids of that age received their driver=s license, Ann had an additional degree added to her black belt. She was already a paid assistant teacher at the dojo. After she finished taking correspondence courses and attended a few college courses to obtain her degree, it was obvious to everyone involved she would be heir apparent to run the dojo after the current sensei retired.

Even before she killed the man who threatened to harm her boyfriend, Ann=s self-defense philosophy was a little different: incapacitate your foe before they have a chance to harm you, or in other words, as she phrased it, they start it, you finish it, and that=s it; walk or run away.

Unlike Yoko=s situation fifteen years before, Ann=s sensei and dojo understood the situation and the circumstances she was in, and her move was self-defense, along with the two other occassions they attacked her. The same couldn=t be said for when she hunted down the remaining gang members and put them in the hospital. But then, neither the dojo nor anyone else outside of Cyndy=s group knew that.

For the occassion, Ann wore her normal attire: white T-shirt, blue jeans cut high above the ankles, and barefoot. She could=ve wore her yoga pants, sweats, or her aikido gi for more flexibility, but she thought it wasn=t necessary. Not if these guys were more of the garden variety thugs she=d hunted down. Nor did she expect to exert herself too much, as arrogant as that might sound; for the adage was true: the better you are in aikido, the less you do.

Take for example this six-foot man who was bouncing on his toes in front of her. Even though he may think so, an expert eye could see he was nowhere near as good as that Karate Kate woman that Yoko defeated; and one could tell Yoko was being easy on her.

The man charged in with a punch and kick combination. A second later, he was on the floor, wondering what happened. Ann stood by and waited for him as she looked around. The other women had things well in hand. Suzi=s encounter looked interesting.

The man got up, shook off the effects of the previous fall, and decided to charge in and knock Ann=s block off with a roundhouse right, nothing fancy.

With reflexes honed by years of practice, Ann grabbed the wrist as it descended, and gave a quick twist. The man yelled as he felt the pain surge from his wrist to his forearm, along his biceps, and igniting in his shoulder joint. He fell to his knees, cradling his arm, again wondering what happened.

As he looked up, Ann glared at him, and said, AStay.@

The man knew this much: this woman barely shrugged and threw him the first time, and nearly tore his arm off the second time he attacked. If he wanted to possibly keep that arm where it belonged, it would probably be a good idea to do what she said and stay put. So he did.

*****

AGrab my wrist! Grab my wrist!@

Sometimes Jamie can still hear the taunts from the many hecklers in the neighborhood when she started taking aikido classes.

Oddly enough, Jamie wasn=t harassed until she started taking aikido lessons. She lived in a town where martial arts were popular, but karate was the overall favorite. So much so, there were a few groups of people who would harass and even beat up those who practiced another discipline.

Jamie liked aikido=s circular style and purely defensive techniques, so she stuck with it. After she heard about a green belt judo practitioner who was heavily beaten up by one of the karate zealots, she made a vow to herself that the same thing would not happen to her. So she went at her classes with a vengeance.

In a form of fairness, a victim would have to be at least a green belt in their discipline before they would be challenged. During that period, they had more than enough time to change their mind. By the time she attained her green belt, Jamie was more than ready for any confrontation, and sure enough, it came.

What she didn=t have in years of experience like Ann or Yoko, or Ivory=s gracefulness, she made up for in brutal simplicity. Her challengers didn=t stop until one or the other was down, so she developed a two-step approach. First, she would negotiate with them for a peaceful resolution. That rarely worked, so she proceeded to step two, take them down hard. This led to her ex-boyfriend calling Jamie the Iron Pacifist, for this peace-loving woman had left a trail of wounded and broken foes behind her.

But the karateka challengers seemed to be rather consistent, and Jamie found herself taking on somebody on a semi-regular basis, not to mention one attempted mugging, and foiling two bank robbers by throwing them into a plate glass window. In fact, when she was invited to join Cyndy=s group, later that evening after her first meeting, she took out two karate goons and deliberately broke the arm of the leader when they attacked her on the way home. Since then, she moved to a more peaceful town.

For this night, Jamie dressed up a little. She wore a dark brown bulky turtleneck, and fashionable dark straight leg blue jeans. To top things off, the jean legs were tucked into thick brown socks. Jane complemented her on her new boots, until Jamie told her to take a closer look. After Jane was embarrassed, Jamie explained that no one at her workplace could tell the difference either.

Her dance partner for the evening was a stocky man who thought he could just run over her. After the first throw, he thought she got lucky. After the second throw, he realized she might know what she=s doing. After the third throw, he thought it was time for another approach. After the fourth throw, he needed to think of something quick; his back couldn=t take another slam into the dojos= hardwood floor.

After throwing him four times in under a minute, Jamie realized to stop him, she was going to have to hurt him. The man, moving a little slower now, mustered up his energy to try a tackle. Jamie intercepted his charge by grasping his head in a reverse headlock, while centering herself so she couldn=t be moved. By the time the man found out he entered a trap, there wasn=t much he could do but flail his arms as Jamie administered the choke hold. Soon he was still.

Jamie laid the man gently on the floor. Her man was subdued, and she didn=t have to Agrab his wrist@ to do it. Planting a socked foot on his neck, she looked around to see if anyone needed help. Everyone was fine, and Ann gave her a look that seemed to ask what took her so long. Oh well, score one more for the Iron Pacifist.

However, she did see someone suddenly grab Karate Killer Kate (what kind of name was that? It sounded like she was a professional wrestler), and pull her from the center of the action, off to the side. Jamie trotted over to investigate. As she came closer, Jamie saw the woman who pulled Kate off. She was almost as tall as Heidi, and as muscular as her as well. Decked out in a bulky gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white socks, no shoes, she was hastily putting Kate=s gi and coat back on. Upon seeing Jamie, she quickly pulled out a white handkerchief and waved it. Jamie understood, nodded her head, and watched as the two women fled the dojo.

AWho was that woman?@ Ann asked, walking up to Jamie.

AMaybe her second, or her nurse, I don=t know. All I do know is she was built like Heidi or Rachel,@ Jamie replied. AAnyway, let=s clean up; throw these guys in the next room or something.@

AWhat was going on with you and that man? You threw him four times, and he still got up.@

AI was trying to deter him, not harm him too much.@

AThis is war, dear; the rules are a little different. Hey, there=s Suzi, she=s still at it.@

AHuh. Never seen the techniques used that way before.@

*****

In teaming up with her friends, friends of Yoko, and her students, Jane felt a little out of her league.

It wasn=t in terms of being lethal, for her Aentry fee,@ so to speak, was killing two gang members who were about to attack her roommates at their house. It wasn=t her martial prowess either. Jane has been a skilled wrestler for years. And she was excelling in shuai jiao, or Afast wrestling,@ what had been given the title of the oldest martial art, even beating out tai chi and sumo.

Jane=s body alone was very strong, no mere pushover in comparison to the other women. So what was it?

Jane, who enjoyed the benefits of being barefoot, realized she was around some really hardcore barefooters. When she shown up to meet the other women, she was the only one to show up wearing sport socks and cross trainers. The fact that it was fall didn=t bother the other women. And there was that compliment she gave Jamie on her new boots. When she smiled and said look closer, Jane felt like crawling underneath a rock somewhere.

When she came back home, she swore to tell her house mates Loretta and Aya that they have been wearing shoes too much, and to keep them in the closet more. They=ve been listening too much to some of their friends who practically live in pumps.

Wearing a dark blue wrestling singlet with a white stripe down the side, and the shoes and socks torn off and thrown in the back of the car, Jane faced off with a bald man who thought he was the next Jean Claude Van Damme. Other than the two thugs she killed, this would be the first time she used her skills in a while outside the gym. The last time was against some loudmouth judoka who thought her art was Alimited,@ and it couldn=t work today. Well she=s not thinking so now.

The philosophy and general idea of shuai jiao is Athe ground never misses.@ The moves are directed toward either Akilling@ the opponent with the ground, a.k.a. throws, or stunning them by throwing them to the ground long enough so a finishing move can be executed. There were also holds and locks included that also lead to said throws. The discipline was also suited for taking on multiple opponents.

Not wasting any time, the man threw an overhand right at Jane=s head. Jane Asnakes@ the man=s arm into an over hook /under hook clinch. Dropping her shoulder, Jane stepped inside and blocked his outside leg. Continuing her motion, Jane threw him hard to the floor while holding on to his right arm. To finish him off, Jane delivered a right punch to the jaw and the temple. For good measure, she clamped on a rear naked choke to make sure he was out.

The whole fight took around ten seconds. Fast wrestling indeed!

*****

Josephine the Greco-Roman wrestler couldn=t keep herself from smiling as she faced off with a slightly shorter guy with a weird sneer on his face. This wasn=t the first time she used her skills outside of the wrestling mat. There were a few skeptics she had to show the hard way what she could do.

Until the popularity of mixed martial arts, aside from the Summer Olympics and a couple of Midwestern states who excelled in it, Greco-Roman wrestling wasn=t a big sensation in the United States. Some thought it was limited, since only the upper body was used. When women started taking it up, there were even more objections, citing women=s weaker upper body strength, among other things. Even women wrestlers in freestyle, submission, and others, voiced their concerns, because it robbed women from using their strongest attribute, their legs.

When Josephine was given this argument, she simply told them three words: boxing, sumo, and aikido. When they were still stumped by her answer, she explained that except for a few stray kicks, aikido doesn=t use legwork, nor did the other two - on the surface. However, in all three combat genres, the legs or lower body were used as a foundation, a base for their power. Greco-Roman was no different. Josephine figured the argument probably came from men who liked seeing women use leg scissors. They probably also assumed that in her type of wrestling, arm strength was everything. Definitely not the case.

For example, any weightlifter or power lifter who were even novices at the sport could tell anyone that lifting weights weren=t limited to the arms alone. The whole body, especially the legs and the core muscles were used. Anyone who knew Josephine could see she wasn=t lacking in the strength department anyway. Muscles hardened from farmwork, especially loading things in the warehouse and on trucks, were made visible in the one-piece red tank top swimsuit she wore.

Josephine noticed that the man wasn=t making a move. He was probably waiting for her to show him what she=s got. Well no problem, she=ll be more than happy to oblige. She ran forward and seized him, lifting him up, and applied her signature move which she called the Corkscrew. As she lifted him up, she spun around before throwing herself, and more importantly her victim to the floor. The centrifugal force, her body weight, the weight of her victim, and gravity did the rest.

The man=s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head from the impact. She knew he was finished, but just to be on the safe side, she rushed over and clamped a rear naked choke around his neck, putting him out.

Jane had just finished putting her foe away when she saw Josephine do her thing. She ran over and gave her a high five.

ANow that=s what I=m talking about!@ Jane cried.

AYou know it!@ Josephine replied. ATake them out and put them away before they know what happened.@

AYou think anyone else will need our help?@

AIvory and Heidi had two guys attacking them at once, but they took care of them. Ivory took no time at all. I=m going to put this guy out with the trash.@

AGood idea; I=ll drag mine out too, then I=ll come back to do cleanup, if anything=s left.@

ADon=t count on it,@ Josephine smiled.

*****

Naoki watched as her fellow sumo sisters Ivory and Heidi were attacked two on one. To Naoki, the question in her mind was how did they get so lucky?

With her stable, and a growing number of other stables prohibiting unsanctioned fighting outside of the ring, she had to channel her energy elsewhere. In fact, she discovered if she continued the intensity in weight and muscle mass, she=ll be entering the middleweight ranks soon. She was comforted by the fact that if she made the transition, her friends Anya and Renny, or ABig Red@ will enter with her.

Ivory and Heidi were bigger, that=s why they warranted special attention, Naoki reasoned. Meanwhile, she gets some small man (well not too small; he was about 5'7" to her 5'5"), who claims to be one of these street kickboxer she=s heard so much about, jumping around on the balls of his feet. Well it was time to show him what this Alittle sumo@ can do.

While the man danced around in his black suit, Naoki, wearing a one-piece black swimsuit, started her shiko exercises, that consisted of lifting one leg up sideways from a squat position, then slammed down in a stomp, her bare soles making a sound on the hardwood floor. While they looked painful, it was nothing to Naoki, who did a thousand of them everyday. As expected, this action produced a baffled look on the man=s face, wondering what she just did. Naoki permitted a small grin, and then she attacked.

The man was caught by surprise from Naoki=s speed, and had a fraction of a second to act before she hit him. He threw up a right roundhouse kick in desperation. Naoki dodged the kick, grabbed the leg, and foot sweeped the left leg as she pushed the right leg up. The man fell to the floor hard.

She planted one foot on his side as she wrapped the other leg around his right leg. Then in a variation of what she usually said in Female Fighting Club matches, AI offer mercy only once. Submit.@

ANo!@ He spat out, along with several curses.

AThen you will not walk for a time,@ Naoki replied. And without warning, she gave his leg a sudden jerk. The man had a sudden twinge of pain, but Naoki wasn=t through yet. Still gripping the leg, she jumped up and away from the street Kickboxer, pushing off his hip for added effect.

His howls seemed to echo through the dojo. Without giving him a second look, Naoki rose and walked to where Anya and Nancy were fighting their opponents.

*****

Long before she came to the states and practiced sumo wrestling, Anya was a practitioner in the martial art of savage. It was a tremendous step in defending herself on the tough streets of her old neighborhood in Russia, and she still practiced it along with her sumo exercises to keep in shape.

To give an added edge, her teacher taught her a few tricks that were not in the standard savage rule book. One of them was pointing her toes when she aimed a kick to a certain area to cause maximum damage, like a pressure point, solar plexus, throat, or spine. Using her bare toes in such a way helped devastate any who would mess with her.

Dressed in a white tank top, fingerless black gloves, blue and black striped tights, and barefoot, Anya was facing off with another street Kickboxer; another fool who thought he knew what he was doing. She had seen punters for American football teams move with more grace. If anyone moved like that where she came from, he or she=d be lucky if they still had their head attached to their shoulders.

In the beginning, Anya started with some hit and run tactics, a few jabs and mild kicks. When she found that her foe moved with the speed of an idling Mack truck, she increased the intensity. Now she was tearing him apart at will. She started delivering stiffened toe kicks to his knees, underneath his ribs, and was preparing to deliver a devastating kick underneath one of his armpits when he heard a scream from one of his comrades. That diverted the man=s attention long enough for Anya to deliver a knockout kick along his jaw.

No focus either, Anya thought. Naoki came to her side.

AVery good,@ Naoki commented.

AThanks. What did you do to him?@ Anya asked, pointing to the squirming man her friend had left.

ADislocated his leg, I think.@

AThat=s a little cruel, don=t you think?@

Naoki took a second glance at the man.

ANo.@

*****

Having found her opponent, a man about the same size she was, Nancy began to stalk her prey.

Taking upon herself the nickname AThe Deadly Nerd,@ she became the terror of playground brawls and unsanctioned fights because of her self-taught skills. They were enough to even gain a disciple to share those skills with. She focused the bulk of her repertoire on throws and chokes.

Dressed herself in a simple white T-shirt with blue trim, dark blue gym shorts, and calf-length navy blue socks, no shoes, Nancy circled with her man until without warning, she ran in and grabbed his tie. She then spun around, and using the tie, delivered an over the shoulder throw. The man landed hard on his back stunned, and robbed a little of his breath. Wasting no time, Nancy straddled her victim, took the shorter end of the tie and pulled. It took a small amount of time until the man=s face turned blue and lost consciousness.

Jane, who was concerned about Nancy=s unorthodox style of combat, came over to check on her.

ANancy, how do you know how long you choke them out, before . . . you know,@ she asked.

AI always count to twenty whenever I apply a choke, and then I let go,@ Nancy explained.

ANancy, it takes less time than that to lose consciousness; past that is possible brain damage, or, you know.@

AThat=s right. But in my twenty count, I allow for struggle time.@

AStruggle time?@ Jane asked.

AYes; they do fight back, except for this one who I slammed first. That gives them some air before I tighten the choke. Even if they=re still awake, they=re not in any shape to fight. Frankly, I think it=s best if I throw them and choke them. Quick and easy.@

Jane mulled it over as she prodded the man=s face with her toe. AWorks for me,@ she said.

AI=ve read about your particular style of wrestling. It=s even simpler than my technique. Could you teach me?@

AUh, sure, I can do that. Do you have time?@

AYeah. I can practice with you after my sumo lessons.@

ASumo lessons?@

*****

While the battle was literally going on around her, Karate Killer Kate was starting to see her place in the world, and it wasn=t as big as she once thought. It was easy to see some of Yoko=s group were trained in other disciplines, but she thought she heard that a few were her students. They were good, very good. What was she thinking, marching in the dojo like she owned the place? It was only at Yoko=s mercy she had only bruises to show for what she did. She should=ve listened to Ilse.

Despite the flexible morality of her profession, there were a couple of things she adhered to. Whenever she received a request to make a Ahouse call,@ she usually made it a point to do it for a good reason. Possible lawsuits and beating up innocent people were no fun. Yet all Dave said was AYoko,@ and she jumped in with both feet without bothering to ask why. It was obvious Yoko and Dave met in a previous encounter, and from the results, meaning several men hospitalized, he hadn=t learned his lesson either.

That brought up the second point. She didn=t think it needed to be said, but some people didn=t get the point. When she faced off in a martial arts confrontation, it was her fight. The battle was between her and whoever she was facing. Her fight to win or lose. It was a matter of personal honor. She faced Yoko alone with Dave brought along only to bear witness, something else she normally didn=t do. She kept her battles private. She faced and fought Yoko, and Yoko won, simple as that. Then Dave snapped his fingers, and produced these goons from nowhere, interfering in her fight. These same goons who were being defeated. Serves him right.

Dave apparently fled, and she presumed Yoko went after him. She may feel very sore now, but as soon as she got on her feet, she was going to hunt Dave down and make him pay, no holds barred. Even if Yoko got him first, she=ll deal with what=s left. Broken bones and some internal bleeding sounded rather appropriate for the occasion once she found him.

She slowly propped herself up on one elbow, wincing as one woman grabbed her male opponent, picked him up and body slammed him on the dojo floor. He wasn=t getting up anytime real soon. As she sat up, she realized she=ll need to cancel a few appointments, and sit in the hot tub for a week. Everything felt sore.

She took time to look around her. She saw one woman who seemed to be taking her foe apart at will with her kicks. It looked like savate she was using. Another woman messed up some man=s arm with just a twist of her wrist, and another woman was slowly making taffy of the limbs of a man who seemed to be twice her size. And Kate thought she herself was cruel.

Suddenly two arms reached around her, and pulled her away from the melee.

AKate, it=s me!@ Ilse said in her ear as she pulled her to a nearby chair.

AHow did you know where we were?@ Kate asked. One of the women, Jamie her name was, approached them, only to stop her tracks as Ilse pulled out a white handkerchief from her back jeans pocket, and waved it in the air. Jamie understood and backed off.

AI followed you,@ Ilse replied. AGood thing I did, too; you lost your ride home.@

AWell as soon as we get out of here, we=re going to Dave=s house. I=ll take care of him,@ Kate threatened as they reached Ilse=s car.

ANo, we=re going home, and you=re sitting in the hot tub. I saw what Yoko had done to you. You must recover before you do anything.@

Kate silently swore to herself, then sat down in the passenger seat. AYou=re right, of course. I should=ve thought this through before I agreed to this. She threw me around like I was nothing. And I don=t know why I was drawn into this in the first place. Very well, I=ll go home, but as soon as I=m better, I=ll find Dave and kick his head off. I know where he lives.@

AI will drop you off, then check on one of my rental properties. I am glad you=re okay, for the most part.@

AFor the most part,@ Kate remarked bitterly as they left.

*****

Dave had never drove home so fast. Why oh why did he have to have a second confrontation with Yoko? When she told him she had no fortune from her challenges, and put his four coworkers in hospital beds with her hands cuffed, he should=ve got the message then. But no, he had to listen to his pride, who told him that no one gets one over on Dave. Now he may have sent more of his friends to the emergency room, Yoko was after him, and from the look she gave him, Kate wasn=t too pleased with him either.

As he parked his car out front, Dave already had a plan in mind. He would grab just enough belongings and essentials to live on, then flee to a friend=s place, maybe even a cheap hotel room, and stay there until the heat=s off. Going back to work may present a challenge, but he=ll think of something when the time comes. Right now he had only a minimal head start at best before Yoko arrived and demanded her pound of flesh.

He nearly dropped his keys unlocking the door. He succeeded though, and with a moment of relief, stepped in, turned on the lights, and froze.

Yoko was sitting in his recliner, one leg crossed over the other. She was still dressed in the same clothes she fought Kate in, with the addition of a brown leather jacket draped over the TV. She gave him a look that wasn=t cruel, it was more like a look a mother would give their child before she punished him.

AHello Dave,@ Yoko said.

AHow did you get in here?@ Dave asked, almost in a whisper.

AAfter you sent the challenge to James, I found out where you live. It wasn=t difficult; it=s just a matter of looking you up in the phone book, plus using a few connections. As for me getting here first, I know this town like the back of my hand. After all, I was born and raised here. I know almost all the shortcuts in town. But I bet you=re wondering how I got in here, aren=t you? Years ago, I misplaced the key to my dojo, and I didn=t want to leave it open; anybody could get in. Instead of having to enter through my house, I bought a lockpick kit. The next three days I became good at it, and then I found my key again. Your door lock took no time at all. I didn=t even have to consider entering through the window,@ Yoko explained.

Dave recovered just enough of his composure to say, AGet out; get out of my house before I have you arrested for breaking and entering.@

AReally? And how do you plan to do that?@ Yoko asked as she got up and walked toward him.

AI=ll just pull out my cell phone and call the police.@

ANo, how do you think you=ll be able to call after I get finished with you?@

AStay back,@ he warned.

Yoko appeared to be leaving as she walked to the door. Instead, she closed it. AI don=t want to bother the neighbors,@ she said.

AHey, look, why don=t we call this even, and leave it at that, huh?@

ALet me get this straight: a few days ago, I was ready to take my morning swim, when suddenly four men and this punk show up to take me somewhere. Then this same punk demands me to give him money, and plans to torture me until I do. I put the four henchmen in the hospital, and got you suspended. I thought that would be the end of it. But no, you wanted >revenge,= so you got some karate dominatrix to try to take care of me. When that failed, you send more goons to my house to finish the job. And you want to call it even. Dave, you=ll be lucky if you=re able to walk under your own power tonight.@

Dave looked cornered, then he brightened. AHold on a minute, you can=t hurt me,@ he stated.

AExcuse me?@ Yoko replied, standing close to him.

AI did a little research on what you do. Your aikido is solely defensive, there are no blows to attack with. So if I don=t make a move against you, I=m safe.@

The fist hit him so fast, he didn=t see where it came from. Dave tumbled backwards over the sofa to land face first on the hardwood floor. He rose slowly, checking his nose for blood.

AOw!@ He exclaimed.

AThis is what happens when you get all your information from the Internet. Of course aikido has strikes, you moron, all marital arts do! We don=t break boards like your friend Kate does, but it gets the job done. How do you think we prepare for strikes? My teacher - both of them - always told me I had good item, or striking,@ Yoko said, peeking over the couch. AI have a good kick too; I caved in a man=s throat with it once. Now if you want to stand still, fine. It=ll make it easier for me to beat you to death. And regarding the defensive angle, a sensei once told me in a prolonged fight, the lines between offense and defense are blurred. Let me see if I can make things real blurry for you.@

Yoko hopped over the sofa, and Dave got to his feet and ran for the front door. Realizing he wouldn=t be able to make it, he suddenly spun around and delivered a left roundhouse kick. Though he didn=t do it very often, Dave was a capable street Kickboxer. To Yoko, that meant less than nothing as she pushed the kick away with both hands, then rushed in, seized him, and threw him hard to the floor.

The next instant, Dave was expecting tremendous pain. He didn=t, and he wondered why. He discovered he landed on one of his beanbag chairs, breaking his fall without injury. He noticed however, that one of the seams of the bean bag burst open from the force of the throw, and beans were pouring out of it.

AThat bean bag could be you,@ Yoko said. AAren=t you glad I didn=t miss? If I=ve thrown you to the floor, you=d have possible back injury, or unconscious at best. Don=t worry about that though. I want to make sure you=re awake for everything I give you.@

Yoko made a motion with her bare left foot, like she was going to stomp his face, and Dave scrambled out of the ruined bean bag chair. Taking her on hand-to-hand would be suicidal; he needed a weapon to fend her off, like a cannon. The best he could find, however, was a baseball bat he had leaning against a wall. While watching baseball games, Dave always liked holding it. It made him feel more like he was there. One or two good swings should keep even her at bay.

Just as he grabbed the bat, Yoko took the bat welding arm in a one-handed joint lock that forced Dave to his knees. Then, like an adult taking candy from a baby, she plucked the bat from his hand, and tossed it across the room.

Even though he seen her in action three times before this encounter, Dave realized it was hard to see what fighting Yoko was like until he done it. It was like fighting the combination of a ghost and a psychic. A ghost because it seems she=s not there when you attack her, and a psychic because she seemed to know your next move before you made it. Maybe even before you do. And Dave knew it would get worse before it got better.

Yoko lessened the pressure on her hold, allowing Dave to rise to his feet as she pulled his arm. When he was standing again, Yoko kicked him in the solar plexus. It was a short kick, but rather powerful. To Dave, it felt like Yoko=s big toe penetrated his chest and tickled his spine. She let him drop to the floor, where he curled up in a near fetal position.

ANow that is a kick,@ Yoko said as Dave coughed and wheezed. Unlike the man she kicked in the throat many years ago, Dave will live to see another day. Maybe.

It was easy to see that this fight was already over. This wasn=t some skilled martial artist or street fighter who challenged her, it was just a punk who didn=t have the sense to realize he wasn=t in the same league. She could leave now, or go back home, and assist the ladies on clean up, though she knew they had everything taken care of. There was just one little thing though. Dave was spared the fate of his cohorts the first time, and she told him that would be his fate this time around. A finishing move would drive home her point.

She stood around patiently as Dave slowly climbed to his feet. When he had done so, she clotheslined him hard with her forearm, slamming him hard on his back.

Dave thought he was beaten worse than he thought. He thought he saw out of the corner of his eye someone peeking in his window. But nobody did that in this neighborhood, and if they did, it would be really nice if they sent help. Any kind will do.

AIt=s over, or it would be, but I made a vow back at the dojo, and I should honor it, at least for you to get the message clear. Besides, some of your friends would be glad to see you,@ Yoko said.

As soon as Dave realized what Yoko meant, she quickly grabbed his left leg, and pulled and twisted it at the same time. Pain caused Dave to arch his back as he cried out.

Yoko surveyed the situation. At her skill level, she could break almost every bone in his body, cripple him, or even kill him if she desired. Unlike the incidents of fifteen years ago, there was no need for the last two options. So she decided to end this the old fashioned way. She plopped down on Dave=s stomach, ramming her knees into his ribs, straddled him, and started sending blows to his head and upper chest. Fists, forearms, chops, elbows, and palm heel strikes she used to batter Dave until she heard him mutter something.

AWhat?@ She said, her right fist cocked back.

AI=m s-s-sorry, I=m sorry, I won=t do it again, I promise,@ he croaked.

AAh, the safeword,@ Yoko remarked. AIf you said it earlier, you would=ve been spared a lot of pain. To leave me alone is rather obvious, so we won=t bother with that. Under no circumstances are you to pester James. You don=t even see him for accounting services unless you earned a million or so the old fashioned way. And if you even think of sending somebody to fight me, I will break them, then I will break you. If you violate any of these things, I will find you and finish the job I started. Are we clear?@

AYeah,@ Dave mumbled.

AIt also would be a good idea for you to quit your job, and find another one.@

AWhy?@

ABecause from time to time I come by to see how Brad and June are doing. June is one of my students. If I see you at any of those times, I may become . . . upset, and Brad might lose an employee. You don=t want me to be . . . upset, do you?@

ANo. But what will I do?@

AYou seem to be reasonably intelligent; you=ll think of something. As long as it=s legal, you won=t have any visits from me. Agreed?@

AYes.@

AGood.@ Yoko rose to her feet, grabbed her jacket, and headed for the door. AOne more thing. I do need to thank you for one thing.@

AThank me?@

AYes. You sped up the time table on meeting someone I took a fancy to, and that along with your apology, are the only two reasons you=re bruised and not broken; although you may want to see if your leg is dislocated or not. I=m positive I twisted the ankle.@

And then she left, closing the door behind her. Dave wanted to lock it, but that wouldn=t do any good. Besides, that involved getting up. He hurt all over. Aside from the damage she=d done to his leg, his stomach still felt like it was hit with a sledgehammer. He hadn=t looked in a mirror, but he was sure his face looked like raw hamburger. His first attempt on getting up ended with him lying on his stomach. He moaned.

Walking to her pickup, Yoko thought she saw someone dart into Dave=s apartment. It was not her concern. Maybe they can help get him to the emergency ward. She needed to get home.

*****

Dave finally recalled the last time he hurt this bad. It was a car accident he and a friend was involved in a few years back. He should count himself lucky, he thought; imagine what would happen if she really wanted to hurt him.

He suddenly heard the front door open, and he was filled with dread. She changed her mind, and came back to finish the job.

AI said I was sorry, Yoko; I won=t bother you or James again, I promised!@ He cried, laying on his stomach, waiting for more punishment. He heard the sound of socked feet, and felt two strong arms embrace him instead of crushing him. This came with a soft voice with a German accent.

ADon=t worry Dave, no one is going to harm you,@ the voice said.

AIlsa? What are you doing here?@ He asked in mild surprise. Mild because it hurt to be anything more than that at the moment.

AShh; I=m here to take care of you,@ Ilsa replied as she picked up the six-foot man and cradled him like a baby.

AMy bedroom is that way,@ Dave said, pointing. AThat way I=ll be right by my phone so I can - hey, where are you going?@

AHush. I said I am here to take care of you. I cannot do it here,@ Ilsa replied as she carried Dave out the door and to her car. AAll will be explained in time.@

Ilsa stopped beside her car, and managing to hold Dave with one arm, opened the back door with the other. She laid him on the seat, covered him with a blanket, then got behind the wheel and drove off.

AI don=t think I need to go to the hospital,@ Dave protested.

AWe=re not going to the hospital.@ Ilsa handed back to him a sports bottle. AHere, drink this, you=ll feel better.@

Dave took a few sips, and prepared himself to ask where they were going, when the interior of the car seemed to spin around. Then his eyes clamped shut, and the sports bottle fell from his hand, making a soft thump as it hit the floorboard.

AYes, sleep well, my David,@ Ilse said out loud as she drove. The sleeping pills in the water had done their job. AIt will be a whole new world once you awaken.@

*****

Being 6'6" and around two hundred fifty pounds, Jared never put too much stock in the martial arts; he never thought he had to. People would either take one look at him and run away, or one swipe of his mighty paw would knock out the opposition.

To him, his only opposition this night would be the big women fighting with the others. One good smack across the face from him would have them cowering and crying. He=ll deal with them later. Right now he needed to chase down that Yoko woman and show her what a man can do, not some punk gangbangers. There suddenly was an obstacle standing in his way; the 5'6" Suzi. She was dressed in a white T-shirt with blue trim, a long dark blue skirt almost similar to the black hakama slacks she wore in aikido class, and thick light blue socks, no shoes. A light blue sweatshirt was tied loosely around her neck. She looked like she was out to visit friends instead of entering the field of personal combat.

You=ve got to be kidding me, he thought. Out loud, he said, AOut of my way, little girl, or I=ll squash you like a bug.@

Suzi looked up at him and said, ANo.@

AI mean it, shrimp!@

Suzi said nothing.

Jared concluded she must be either pretty brave, pretty stupid, or a combination of the two. He marched forward, ready to either knock her out of the way, or just plain run over her. The next thing he knew, his back was on the dojo floor as he stared up at the ceiling lights. He wasn=t sure what happened. He scrambled to his feet to face Suzi who stood nearby. She got lucky once, but not a second time.

Suzi sidestepped the next blow, and delivered a quick sankyo. Jared rose up on his toes, then had no choice but to comply as Suzi directed him to the floor. This was the last move she=d do quickly with her foe.

When Suzi faced off against the black belt karateka who challenged Yoko a few years ago, it provided some amusement for her teacher and the rest of her classmates because it appeared once she had her quarry in a hold, she didn=t know where to throw him or put him. But that was not the case. An aikido hold pushed to its extreme breaks bones, and tears muscle ligaments and joints. Placed mildly, it can cause mild discomfort or extreme pain. Placed roughly and sustained for a significant length of time . . .

Suzi drove Jared to the dojo floor, where he would stay for as long as she wanted. That was the normal procedure. Instead, she started walking toward another part of the dojo, pulling Jared along with her. Jared had no choice but to obey.

While holding a particular joint lock caused undue strain and possible damage to the tendons and ligaments, it would also cause the circulation around that part of the body to shut down and become numb. Suzi ignored Jared=s threats and screams of pain until she threw him to the floor. He rose, only for Suzi to lock a joint lock on his other arm. He tried to hit her with the other arm, but he couldn=t feel it. Again, he was dragged helplessly along the floor. On that day against the karate man, Suzi knew a few pressure points with her joint locks. This time, she knew them all, and planned to use a few of them to bring down her foe.

After she rendered both arms useless, she began to get creative. Once Suzi released him, Jared out of frustration foolishly threw a kick at the aikido woman, who simply moved into the attack, caught the leg, and started performing a sankyo on the ankle joint, twisting it to the breaking point and holding it. Jared=s mind was beginning to go blank, thinking of nothing but pain.

Suzi=s exploits did not go unoticed by her comrades. After effectively dispatching her opponents, Ivory watched her friend in confusion.

ADon=t tell me she still doesn=t know where to throw him,@ she said as she prepared to throw one of her antagonists out the front door.

ANo Ivory; take a closer look at what she=s doing,@ Li, the chin na master replied. AI believe there=s a reason why Suzi goes slowly.@

AMy word,@ Ivory gasped as the realization hit her.

After throwing out her semi-conscious foe, Jane ventured over to look. AIn submission wrestling, there are holds used that weaken your opponent before you submit them,@ she said. ABut I=ve never seen it done with joint locks. In fact, they=re illegal in competition.@

ANow we know why,@ Heidi added.

Jamie said to Ann, AMaybe I shouldn=t do this, but I=ve got to ask her how she=s doing that.@

ADon=t feel so bad, because I was going to ask her the same thing,@ Ann replied.

Suzi now had another sankyo on Jared=s right arm, while bending him over backwards. He was resistant at first, but a knuckle punched into his spine and kidneys softened him up. He was pressed against a wall while Suzi pulled back on his chin. Because of the work she done on his right ankle, he was placing most of his weight on his left foot. From time to time, Suzi would kick a socked foot to the knee joint of the supporting limb.

Naoki turned to her Russian friend. AYou should not ever call me cruel in my matches ever again.@

AShouldn=t we do something?@ Nancy asked.

ARecommend the name of a good chiropractor?@ Heidi suggested.

ASuzi . . .@ Ivory began, but she found no need to go any further.

Suzi stopped what she was doing, and dropped it, or rather dropped him. She loosened her grip, allowing Jared to sink to the floor in a heap. Suzi gave a satisfied look to her face, her experiment was successful. Then she looked up to see the other women staring at her.

AWhat?@ She asked.

AThat - that=s quite a number you did on that man,@ Jane said.

AThank you; I=ve been wanting to try that again on somebody for some time,@ Suzi replied.

Ivory felt a sudden chill creep down her spine. Two of the defeated men ran over and helped Jared up and half-dragged him out the dojo.

AMaybe we should invite her to our group,@ Heidi suggested.

AWhy? She hadn=t killed anyone . . . yet . . . as far as I know,@ Ivory said.

AYou see that twitching piece of meat that=s being dragged out the door? If you ask me, that makes her deadly in my book,@ Jane remarked.

AYeah, I thought Yoko was the only deadly one here at this dojo,@ Nancy stated, then turned quickly to Ivory. ANo offense.@

ANone taken. I don=t want to be deadly,@ Ivory replied.

Suzi in the meantime, was headed toward the dojos= water fountain. Twisting a full grown man=s limbs like taffy had made her thirsty. Suddenly two men burst into the dojo, charging directly in Suzi=s path. Unconcerned, Suzi clotheslined the first man, sending him head over heels to land hard on the floor. The second man, a little more wary, stood back and flicked open a switchblade, ending the Ano weapons@ unwritten pact that was conducted during the battle. Suzi smirked.

Not liking Suzi=s smirk, the man yelled, AYou crippled Jared! You almost killed him!@

In a quiet voice, Suzi said, AHe will walk again, eventually.@

He lunged forward with a wild slash that Suzi intercepted with a wrist lock that made him drop the blade, for the move broke his wrist. Suzi maneuvered the wrist lock into a choke, while putting a sankyo on his other hand.

APerhaps she should learn to count,@ Nancy said.

AShe=s going to be a member of your group yet,@ Ivory muttered to the others. ALi, come with me so we can rescue this idiot; some of you go see if the other man is all right.@

The dojo doors burst open again, and James rushed in, breathing a little heavy.

AHi James!@ Suzi said as she smiled widely, and dropped the intruder to the floor. He lay there gasping for air, grateful that this man, whoever he was, may have saved his life.

James looked at the man, decided not to ask, and said, AHow is Yoko? Where is she?@

Ivory spoke up first. AOh Yoko is fine; she=s in great shape,@ she replied, hoping he wouldn=t ask the next question. But of course he did.

AOkay, great. Where is she?@

AWell she=s . . .@ Ivory looked at the others, who were hard pressed to come up with a good answer.

AHere I am!@ Yoko replied, walking into the dojo. She saw the man lying at Suzi=s feet gasping. Suzi just shrugged. The look on Ivory=s face told her a nice long explanation will be awaiting her.

AWhere=s Kate?@ James asked.

AI won; she didn=t stick around.@

ADave?@

AHe won=t be bothering us again.@ Yoko walked up and gave him a warm hug. AYou look exhausted. Go to the kitchen and get a drink of water; I=ll join you in a minute.@

After he entered the kitchen, she turned to Ivory. AI see you held down the fort. I saw all the cars leaving except one.@ She gestured to the two men, one of which was helped out the door by Heidi. The other one, able to breathe again, staggered quickly toward the same direction. He attempted to bend down to retrieve his knife, but a glaring look from Ann changed his mind. AWho were those two?@

ASuzi=s second and third victim,@ Ivory replied.

Yoko raised an eyebrow. AAnd the first victim?@

AHe was carried out five minutes ago.@

ACarried out?@

AYou remember that man she fought in your place?@

Yoko smiled. AHow could I forget? I still remember the way he limped out of here.@

AWell this man=s agony was prolonged.@ Ivory explained what Suzi did, causing a shocked expression on her face.

AAnd I was concerned about the other ladies,@ Yoko remarked. She gathered all the women together. AStudents and friends, I want to thank you for your help, I truly appreciate it. What did happen to Kate by the way?@

ASome woman almost as tall as Heidi, and built like Rachel ran in and picked her up,@ Jamie said. AI thought she came to fight us, but she shook her head and backed away.@

AThat=s interesting. I thought I saw a woman who looked like that entering Dave=s place after I left. Maybe she acted as their nurse.@

AAnd what did you do to Dave?@ Heidi asked in anticipation with the others.

AIf you don=t mind sticking around a little bit longer, I=ll tell you everything. Let me tend to James for a bit. Ivory, tell your friend Fred at the garage I owe him.@

After Yoko went to the kitchen, Ivory turned around and said, AGreat job, ladies; again, your help was much appreciated. Suzi, I want to share a few words with you, like attempted manslaughter?@

In her quiet voice, Suzi explained, AYou thought I was going to kill him? If I was, I would=ve done it right away, as soon as he charged me. I would=ve used a - @

ANever mind that, what was the deal with messing up his limbs like that?@

AOh, you remember that karate man I fought? I wondered what would happen if I did the same thing, except for a much longer time. And it worked.@

AI=d say so, he was nothing but dead weight when his guys carried him out of here,@ Jane remarked.

ATurned him into a ragdoll,@ Josephine added.

AAll right, what about that last guy, the one you almost strangled?@ Asked Ivory.

ADid you know it=s legal to kill an intruder in your own house in self-defense?@ Suzi responded.

AThat=s well and good, except this isn=t your house, Suzi. And there=s other moves you could=ve used. Why a choke?@

AJust got carried away, I guess. Yoko is our teacher and friend, though. They came to do her harm, and as friends, it=s our duty to protect her.@

Ivory raised up her arms in surrender. AYou=re scaring me, girl, you=re scaring me. Let=s go to the living room and sit down. We earned some rest.@

In the kitchen, at the table, James was telling his story to Yoko.

A- and I ran to the car, turned the ignition, and nothing happened! I didn=t think the buses reached your place, and do you know how hard it is to get a taxi at this time of night?@ James ranted.

Yoko placed a hand on top of James= hands, who was delivering a stranglehold on his bottled water. AIt=s all right now, baby,@ she cooed. AIs your car still at your place?@

AYeah.@

AI know a good mechanic you can tow it to in the morning. I=ll pick you up for breakfast tomorrow morning, and we=ll get it taken care of, okay?@

ASo what happened here anyway?@

AI=ll tell you the whole story over breakfast. I would now, but I have some ladies in waiting to attend to. I=ll have Ivory take you home, okay?@

AAre you sure everything=s okay?@ He asked.

Yoko leaned forward, looking into his eyes. ANever better,@ she whispered. She gave him a kiss. AI=ll pick you up around seven, okay?@

After Ivory gave James a ride home and came back, Yoko sat in the middle of her group.

ANow where do you want me to start? How I found him, or what I did to him after I found him?@ She asked.

AStart from the beginning,@ Josephine said. AI want to know everything.@

*****

When Dave came to, he slowly looked around. He wasn=t in his bedroom at his apartment; he was in a bedroom . . . somewhere. It was nicely if simply furnished. The bed was rather comfortable, but he felt like he could=ve slept on cold concrete with no adverse effects.

He started piecing together what happened. He was at Yoko=s dojo, then ended up fleeing from her dojo to escape. That was in vain, because Yoko beat him there, and then Yoko . . . beat him. As bad as she beat him, the knowledge that she was holding back was almost as bad. Then she left, Ilse came in, put him in her car, and that was it. How did he get here, and where is Ahere?@

He started hearing voices. A moment=s pause told him that those voices were by the doorway. One of them was a man holding a medical bag, it looked like. The other was the massive form of Ilse. . .

Now he remembered! Ilse gave him something to drink, he took a sip, and that was it. Obviously she spiked his drink. Now he was at Kate=s mercy, and from what he saw at one of her sessions, mercy wasn=t something she had in abundance. Ironically, that was one of the reasons he gave her the task of handling Yoko.

Ilse thanked the man and walked to the bed where Dave was lying. When he last saw her, she wore a bulky gray sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white socks. Now she wore a dark blue tank top, matching shorts, and barefoot. Maybe she changes clothes a lot, or she doesn=t like wearing clothes at all.

Dave quickly pushed that last thought away as she approached him.

ADid you sleep well, Dave?@ She asked in her German accent.

AI was out, that=s for sure,@ Dave said. ADid you put something in that water bottle?@

Ilse grinned sheepishly. AJa, I did. Sleeping a little while helps heal the wounds. On that, I have good news. The doctor said that you have no severe injuries outside of some heavy bruises. Your ankle was twisted, and your leg will be a little sore, but it wasn=t dislocated.@

AGood. Wait a minute, where=s Kate?@

AShe=s at our house in the hot tub, tending to her wounds. After she sits there for a time, she=ll probably go to bed. She=ll probably cancel some of her appointments tomorrow.@

AWhere did that doctor come from?@

AOh, Kate has him on standby for in case she gets a little carried away. He does his work, no questions asked.@

AI see. So where am I?@

AAn apartment building on the east side. I bought it some time ago. You=re in one of the nicer apartments on the top floor. I plan to add some more improvements soon.@ Ilse paused and looked down at Dave. AYou have been a bad boy, Dave,@ she added.

Dave sensed this was coming, and asked, ASo how soon will Kate see me when she gets better?@

Ilse kneeled down beside Dave. AAs I said, no one is going to harm you. Kate doesn=t even know you are here. No one knows but me. When Kate engaged Yoko at her dojo, it wasn=t just a fight, it was a duel of honor, a battle between warriors.@

AIt still sounds like a fight to me.@

AYou do not understand. A challenge, a duel of honor is a battle between two individuals, and only those two. When Yoko defeated Kate and you sent those men after Yoko without Kate=s knowledge, you shamed her. It made her look like she can=t fight her own battles.@

ABut it was my battle too, Kate lost. And what about those women she brought out of the woodwork?@ Dave argued.

AIt may have been your battle, but you had Kate fight in your stead. What you did made it like you couldn=t trust her. And Yoko was not pleased about you recruiting an outsider to resolve the matter between the two of you. As for her women, she already knew what you were thinking.@

Dave was about to object, pointing out that Yoko defeated Kate, but another question came to mind. AHow did you know all this? Kate told you?@ He asked.

ANo, I followed you,@ Ilse said. AI may not hang around many martial artists besides Kate, but even I have heard of Yoko=s abilities. I knew they were even greater than Kate=s; of course, I didn=t tell her that. Watching that clip confirmed my feelings. When your men fought Yoko=s women, I pulled her out and took her home. Yoko just bruised her, nothing serious. I=m grateful for that. It may be a week before she=s up to full strength.

AI reached your apartment just before you and Yoko fought, or rather before Yoko just beat you.@

AThanks a lot,@ Dave remarked.

ADid you think you were a match for Yoko?@

Dave was silent.

AThought not. After she was finished, I came in and got you.@

AWhy didn=t you stop her if you were watching the whole thing?@

ABecause the battle in your apartment was your battle of honor. I would have intervened if she harmed you further. Besides, I am no match for Yoko. I may be strong, but to a woman of her skill and ability, that would mean nothing. I was relieved when I saw she was taking it easy on you and decided not to really hurt you.@

Dave had a sudden flash of anger, but he wasn=t sure if it was at Ilse for seeing the whole thing, what she said, or the fact she was right.

AI wonder what caused this conflict between you and Yoko in the first place, and I=m sure I will find out someday, but for now, that is as they say, >water under the bridge,=@ Ilse continued. AThe point is this: Kate is very angry at you, and she will not hesitate to attack you on sight, and send you to the hospital. What you saw that one evening pales in comparison to her rage. Yoko wanted you to find another line of work, lest she=d encounter you again, and finish what she began. I forgot to mention you stranded Kate when you left, and she=s steamed about that too.@

Dave waved a dismissive hand as he looked up at the ceiling. AI should be able to avoid both of them,@ he said.

ALike Yoko, Kate has a number of connections through her clients. It would be very hard to avoid her grasp.@

AOkay, but I don=t hang around folks who like getting their heads kicked off, nor do I hang around very many martial artists, so I don=t think there=s a problem.@

Ilse slowly shook her head. AAgain, you don=t understand,@ she said. AYoko is almost a legend here. Her influence is more powerful than you think. She has friends and students among others who could keep tabs on where you are, and if need be, bring you to her. You saw a few of them tonight. That redhead and the black woman are sumo wrestlers, for example, and I=m sure you don=t want to encounter them. Kate=s clients consist of some of the more influential people in town, like businessmen, and those in power. She could say the word, and have you brought to her just like that.@ She snapped her fingers. Dave=s eyes widened.

AYou mean people like the mayor?@ Dave asked.

ANo, he=s a family man. He=s more acquainted with Yoko. But Kate knows a few movers and shakers,@ Ilse replied as she looked directly into Dave=s eyes. AI see you are beginning to understand now, but let me put this yet another way. I am the one person who is keeping you from Kate and Yoko.@

Ilse waited for this to sink in, then she went on. ANow here=s what you will do. In the morning, if you are able, you will go to your workplace and tell your boss that you quit. You can send a letter of resignation if you are too sore to move.@

ABut what will I do? I need to work somewhere!@ Dave protested. AI have rent to pay.@

AYou will work for me. Don=t worry, you won=t be scrubbing toilets. I will place you in a managerial or supervisory position. You should do well.@

AYou=re placing a lot of faith in my abilities. I=m not a slob, but I don=t think I fit the bill.@

AIf you can talk a group of men into entering a dojo and fighting for you, surely you can talk maids and janitors into cleaning their locations spic and span. You=ll be paid as much, if not a little more than you were before.@

Upon hearing the increase in pay, Dave suddenly had no protests to voice. AOkay,@ he said.

ANext, you are going to move.@

AMove?@

AThey know where you live. You don=t want Kate knocking on your door, do you?@

ABut where will I live?@

Ilse stood up and widened her arms. ARight here! You=ll have the same accommodations if not more as your own place,@ she said.

AAnd the rent?@

AI wouldn=t worry about rent right now.@

ASo I have a new place and a new job.@

AThere is one thing.@

AWhat=s that?@

AIf you trifle with either Yoko or Kate ever again, I will place you on their doorstep, gift-wrapped. By now, you know enough not to deal with Kate a second time, or Yoko, a third. Plus Kate is a close friend, and despite her line of work, she is a sensitive person. I=d hate to see her hurt.@

AAll right,@ Dave agreed, then propped himself up on an elbow. It was a little harder than usual, because everything still hurt. ABut I don=t get it; not that I=m not appreciative, because I am, but what do you get out of all this?@

Ilse gave a warm, but mischievous smile. AI get you,@ she said.

AM-me?@ Dave blurted out.

AYes. I wanted you since I first saw you. When I checked you out and confirmed you were single and available, well, you=re not the only schemer around, let=s just put it that way.@

AWait a minute, you had Kate=s people look me up?@

This time, it was Ilse=s turn to wave her hand dismissively. ANo; I have bigger resources than her,@ she scoffed.

AHow=s that?@

AI run a cleaning service. I=m in charge of almost every maid and janitor in town, and a few in the towns next door. I can find out and tell you what the mayor had for breakfast this morning if I so desired. Kate may know a few powerful people, but even they need their houses cleaned!@

Again, Dave was speechless. What could he say? He was caught, plain and simple.

AEnough talk! You must be worn out from your ordeal. You need to get your rest so you can heal. We have a lot to do,@ Ilse said. Instead of leaving as expected, she came forward, pulled back the sheets, and got in bed beside Dave, putting them nose to nose with each other. Ilse slowly gave Dave kisses all over his bruised lips, face, and neck.

AI understand body heat is also good for healing,@ she cooed in a whisper. AIt speeds up the circulation.@

At the moment, Dave was thankful he was fully clothed. And his circulation was moving quite speedily, thank you. With some effort, he pushed Ilse away and took a breath.

AIlse, why don=t we slow things down just a little, and right now, I=m injured. It hurts to move right now,@ he said.

What he received in response was a quick crushing bear hug from Ilse. Dave yelped in pain.

AI thought you might understand without my having to tell you; but you belong to me now. I decide whether we go fast or slow,@ Ilse said softly, but firmly. AAnd I=ve decided we are moving fine right now.@

With that, she resumed kissing Dave, holding him firmly.

ABesides,@ she whispered in his ear, Ado you think you can stop me?@

*****

As the last of the guests drove home, Yoko collapsed on a nearby sofa in the living room.

AWow, long night,@ she said.

AI=m surprised you didn=t do more to Dave than you did,@ Ivory commented.

AAt first, I wanted to, I really did. Then I saw him for what he really was, and I realized what I became. He wasn=t no martial artist out to destroy me; he was just some cocky punk who had no idea who he was messing with, at the risk of sounding cocky myself.@

AWhat do you mean >what you became?= We=ve discussed that, Yoko. You=re not some sadist out to hurt someone on a whim.@

AAnd that=s true, except for my challenges.@

ABut you have to disable them, so they won=t cripple you. Remember that one woman who tried to strike every pressure point and nerve cluster she could, before she . . . wanted to do something unspeakable to you?@

AYes; one broken finger stopped that before I slammed her brains out on the dojo floor. But that=s my point, Ivory. Except for a handful, every contender came in here to put me out of business, cripple me, or I=d wouldn=t be surprised if they wanted to put me in a box. They haven=t won, but they succeeded in making me like them, if only for a moment.@

Ivory nodded. AI think I see your point,@ she said.

AI have over twenty years of aikido under my belt. While that is by no means a sign that I arrived, I easily know more than enough techniques to put Dave in the ground, put Kate out of business, or really make that man who grabbed me a few nights ago regret the day he was born.@

AI don=t think he=ll come back until his arm and hip are healed,@ Ivory sighed. ASo this ordeal with Dave and Kate made you think about this?@

AThat did a little, but mainly it was the fact that I have a relationship now; a boyfriend, not some date in awe of how lethal I am. I can=t have something, like dinner with him for example, and have some goofball barge in, and challenge me to fight. You saw him tonight. He would=ve hitchhiked up here, or rode a bike. He was concerned about me. Never mind the fact I can take care of myself, he saw me in action, and I=m probably stronger than he is, he was worried I=d get hurt. That means a lot to me.@

AIf I am hearing you correctly, you=re not talking about a damsel in distress, nor an Amazon princess, but someone who cares for you as a normal human being.@

Yoko smiled. AYes, and I am crazy about him, even if he probably sleeps with his shoes on.@

AYoko, you don=t know that. You can=t judge the whole world because not all of them go barefoot like you.@

ANo, but I can tease him to death about it. Besides, it didn=t take me long to >convert= you.@

AYoko, I=m from Africa; we go without shoes all the time,@ Ivory argued, looking down as she flexed her bare toes.

AYeah, yeah; and I had to threaten you to keep from buying three-inch stiletto heels one time,@ Yoko replied.

Changing the subject, or rather steering it back on course, Ivory asked, ASo what will you do?@

ATonight I believe, will be my last challenge. I think James and I will be together for a long time; just trust me on that, okay? And I want the relationship to grow on its own terms. Granted, there are exceptions, like if the dojo is being attacked, or dealing with Mr. bruised hip, but other than that, I=m through.@

ASo what will happen when a challenger comes by?@

Yoko sat up. AThat=s the tricky part. I=d like to hand that job over to you. Believe me, I understand if you don=t want it,@ she said.

AI must be crazy, but I accept,@ Ivory replied. ABut I also have school and sumo to balance with that.@

AI know; that=s why you=ll share that task with another person.@

AWho?@

Yoko just smiled evilly. Ivory=s eyes widened.

ASuzy? Are you crazy, girl, she=ll kill someone!@ She exclaimed.

ADon=t worry, I=ll remind her that murder is still illegal in all fifty states, and the Ten Commandments. But think about it; anyone who duels with her may never want to again.@

AI see the logic, as disturbed as it is. You want me to ask her?@

AI=ll do it. In fact, I=ll call her in a minute. I bet she=ll be more than happy to take it.@

AI know, that what scares me.@ Ivory yawned. AWell, I=m going to my room, watch some TV, and go to bed.@

AI=m not far behind you,@ Yoko said as she picked up her phone.

Ivory stopped and turned to Yoko. AYoko, regarding James, I just ask one favor.@

AWhat=s that?@

ADon=t try to pull off and hide his shoes.@

AWhy would I try to do that?@ Yoko replied, as she received a knowing look from Ivory. ABesides, he doesn=t practice aikido, and he doesn=t swim, so that would be rather hard, wouldn=t it?@

Ivory just turned and headed toward her room. AYou=ll find a way,@ she said.

*****

A few weeks later, life went on. Of course life went smoother for some people more than others.

Ivory received her professional ranking in sumo, and was on her way to being ranked in the top twenty-five in her area.

Yoko=s friends in and out of the dojo, particularly Cyndy=s group, started getting together with each other more often. In fact, Suzi was made an honorary member of Cyndy=s group, receiving the humorous title of the one voted Amost likely to hurt someone.@ Suzi received the title graciously with a quiet smile.

Kate licked her wounds, and eventually went back to doing what she does, only not as arrogantly as before. For instance, she changed her title, dropping the AKiller@ from Karate Kate. Every now and then, one of her clients will mention Yoko=s name, and she=ll give them a roundhouse kick upside the head, free of charge.

Ilse=s cleaning service continued to be successful. She supervised her growing contracts and potential customers with a song in her heart. Recent events and how they unfolded were the reason.

Dave was a new employee to Ilse=s service as well as her new boyfriend. He was very good in his new role as a supervisor over a group of workers cleaning hotels on the other side of town. He also had proved to be a good little boyfriend as well, and with good reason, two in particular. One was Ilse was bigger and stronger than he was, so that kept him from coming up with any more crazy ideas; and the other reason was Ilse was the only one who kept him from the wrath of Yoko and Kate.

As for Yoko and James, business was good, and so was their relationship.

Yoko=s business college had a pretty good basketball team that was fighting for first place in their conference. At a home game, the couple walked up the bleachers to find their seats. They represented a drastic contrast in clothing styles. James wore a blue crew neck sweater with blue jeans and white running shoes. Although the outfit was casual, he looked like he came from a major corporation that had their usual dress down Friday. Yoko on the other hand, wore her black leather jacket, covering a light blue T-shirt with the cuffs rolled up mid-calf, and barefoot. She told James the floor of the gym was about the same as the floor of her dojo. James inwardly shrugged. He realized at this point that her feet were practically indestructible, and he was used to her unique clothing style and footwear (?) by now.

After they heard the national anthem and the names of the players, they sat down and watched the first tip-off of the game. James leaned over and said, AAfter I finished that nightmare of an account he had, Brad offered me the position of being the accountant to send his business to. That should keep me busy during the lean months.@

AThat=s great!@ Yoko beamed. AIt should keep you busy. I just hope his books for his other stuff aren=t as bad as what you had to deal with during that last account; you=d be pulling your hair out.@

AHe assured me I won=t have any more headaches like that one.@

AYet another thing to thank Dave for,@ Yoko sighed.

ATo thank Dave for?@ James asked, confused.

AYes, he brought us together, and boosted up your business in his own strange way.@

Upon a moments= thought, James agreed with the logic. If that whole week hadn=t happened, he=d still be stuck in the routine of doing tax returns and going home to a quiet, solitary existence. ASo whatever happened to Dave, anyway? It=s like he fell off the face of the earth.@

AI don=t know. I know I beat him up, but I didn=t beat him that bad. Brad told me he ran in his office, apologized, slapped a letter of resignation on his desk, and ran out, like someone was after him,@ Yoko replied.

AAnd you didn=t have anything to do with it?@ James asked, smirking.

AI >suggested= he quit, but not that soon. Besides, I have better things to do on Monday mornings, like take my swim, and go to the local caf# to have breakfast with you.@ She gave James a slight squeeze.

ASpeaking of food, how about I get us some popcorn and hot dogs?@

AGreat, but I=m buying,@ Yoko said as she shot up. AThe vendors know me, so I can get them fixed real nice, not to mention a discount.@

AIs there anyone in this town you don=t know, Yoko?@

AMaybe a few. I=m a >pillar of the community,= remember?@ Yoko kissed him lightly on the lips. AI=ll be right back.@

James sat back and watched the game. It looked like Yoko=s team already had this match well in hand. But it was exciting, watching them fire three-pointers at will and dunk on the other team like it was a pick-up game on the playground.

He looked around at the people watching te game on the same side of the bleachers, and saw someone walking along the rows. Upon further inspection, he saw it was Suzi, who gave him a brief wave as she came nearer. She was dressed in a dark blue cardigan sweater, white blouse, light blue shirt, and navy blue dress socks (doesn=t any of Yoko=s friends wear shoes?). She collapsed into a lotus position in Yoko=s seat.

AHi,@ she said, gazing at him.

AHello,@ James replied.

AHow are you?@

AI=m fine.@

She gazed at James for a few seconds, and cocked her head to the side. AI understand you and Yoko are now a couple.@

Realizing that the truth would set him free from any possible advances, James replied confidently, AYes; yes, we are.@

Suzi nodded, soaking this in. AThat=s too bad,@ she remarked. AWell if anything happens between the two of you, I=ll be there for you.@

She gave a sly smile, got up, and was headed back the way she came. A minute later, Yoko reappeared with two foot-longs, fries, two soft drinks, and a large box of popcorn. James told her what just happened.

AWell I know another reason you=ll be my man for a good long time,@ Yoko remarked.

AHow=s that?@

AIf you break up with me, that=ll place you in Suzi=s clutches. It=s interesting; we didn=t know she had a romantic bone in her body until she met you, and before that Friday at the dojo, no one had seen her smile.@

AThe eerie thing about it is she thinks she could actually nab me if we broke up.@

AOver the years, I=ve learned not to underestimate Suzi in anything she puts her mind to.@ She crossed her legs, and hooked the toes of her right foot against James= right leg. ABut don=t worry, James; I=ll keep you safe from Suzi=s clutches, and the clutches of anyone else who might come to get you.@

AMy champion. Speaking of clutches, I have an accountant=s convention coming up in January. There=s a few pains in the neck I=d like off my case.@

AConsider it done. I=d be delighted to come with you,@ Yoko whispered in his ear.

AThanks.@

AHey, maybe when it gets sunny, we can go to this lake I know about. We could go there, take off our shoes, and walk along the shore.@

ANice, but no thanks.@

AOkay, then I guess we could go back to my house, go by the pool, and dangle our feet in the water.@

AYoko, I=m not taking off my shoes in this cold weather,@ James protested.

Yoko gave him a dirty look. AYou know I could just take your shoes off myself,@ she said.

AYou could try.@

ACome on, James; your feet would be free.@

AMy feet like their prison. Besides, I was warned you=d try this.@

AWhat? Who told you that?@

ANobody.@

AOh? Does >Nobody= happen to be big, black, and sticks her nose where it doesn=t belong?@

AYou got me.@

AOh, I=ll get you all right. I=ve told Ivory she=s not too big to put over my knee. But as for you, there=s a secret aikido tickling technique I=ve learned in Japan.@

James looked at her skeptically. AOh come on, there=s no >secret tickling technique,= and it wouldn=t work anyway because I=m not ticklish.@

AYou=re not?@

ANo, I=m not - BWAH HA HA HA!@

As Yoko tore into James with sadistic glee, she reflected on how it felt to be happy, and . . . normal. For on this night, she was not a local martial arts icon, not a local celebrity, urban legend, Sensei Williamson=s most famous failure, or the deadly woman on the hill who took on all comers. On this night, she was just a woman at a ball game trying to embarrass her boyfriend by tickling him to death.

After he was almost driven to the point of tears, Yoko ceased her torture and resumed eating her popcorn and watching the game. She looked at the surrounding spectators who grinned her way, and said, AWhat?@

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If you have enjoyed this story, perhaps you may want to read other stories from the Barefoot Heroines collection. There are a variety of stories to choose from. They can be found at http://www.thevalkyrie.com/stories/mongoose/index.htm.

For comments, suggestions, or story ideas, email the author at shrewsberry@juno.com.

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