A night on the Town

The base of the music could be heard from the other end of the street. The drops of rain on the pavement and the drunken cheers of clubbers couldn't drown out the heavy beat that echoed out from the Club. Her leather boots kissed the puddles on the street as she made her way forwards on her heels. The clouds were dark and the street lamps flickered a dull yellow. Shiva passed the queue waiting to enter the club and strode up to the bouncer. He knew to stand aside as she entered, her katana in a case strapped to her back. There were still raindrops stroking her face as she passed the cloak room and into the main room of the club. It was a dark room with walls painted black. The strobe lighting cascaded across the dancing bodies and sliced through the stench of sweat that filled Shiva's nostrils. Shiva passed through the bodies and reached the VIP section. Here, the bouncer raised a hand with his palm facing her in an effort to stop her. Her sword was out of it's case and halfway through his wrist before he even realised what was happening. Shiva cast him aside and walked up the steps. There were two other bouncers on the steps that stepped towards her. They both had knuckledusters on and one was reaching into his suit's inner breast pocket for the beretta that Shiva could see was 'concealed' there. Shiva span as she ascended the steps, her sword slicing the air before her. The first man lost his top lip and one of his eyes. The second received a slice to the stomach and was left staring dumbfounded as his intestine hung down over his crotch.

Shiva reached the top of the stairs and passed through a silk curtain. Before her was the VIP section. It was a huge balcony that overlooked the central dance floor. A chandelier hung from the ceiling and was a few feet above the balcony, casting sparkling shapes of every colour on the spectrum across the VIP patrons. Shiva passed through the dancing crystals that were reflected on the walls. Most didn't notice her. They were all sat in various booths, each with it's own glass table. They were clearly halfway through their acid trips or were too busy eating the faces of the nearest thing with a pulse. Two more guards stepped forwards. They were far quicker on the draw and even managed to get out their guns before Shiva met them. Her sword flew through the air and carved a hole in the face of the first man. Shiva charged forwards like a panther. The other man raised his gun and managed to fire once. Shiva dropped to the ground and slid forwards; the bullet passing harmlessly above her. Reaching the feet of the gunman, Shiva moved without stopping. Her left hand was suddenly on the man's throat and her right was breaking the wrist holding the gun causing the weapon to hit the floor. With a kick, she practically had him doing the splits before spinning him and smashing his face through the closest glass table. Standing, Shiva faced her target. Isiah Bell was the owner of the Club. He had married into the Falcone family and was using his loose connections to try and make a bid for power in Gotham. He was essentially harmless but he was an annoyance and a liability to the Falcone name. He had to be eliminated for others to be successful. For Shiva to be successful.

Isiah screamed and the rest of his guards came to his aid. There were 12 of them. Shiva moved without hesitation. It was a dance and she was taking the lead. Shiva met the first guard who insulted her by carrying no weapon. Shiva simply slapped away his attempt at a punch and jabbed him in the carotid artery with three fingers. He clutched at his throat in an attempt to stop the bleeding as he fell. Shiva took the next man by the nostrils with two fingers. Flipping him onto his back, still with her fingers in his nose, she twisted sharply. Even with the music as loud as it was, she heard his neck break.

Finally, the men were understanding what they were facing. As she stood, she saw nearly all of them had their guns drawn. In the blink of an eye, Shiva was running across the balcony and casting out throwing stars as she went. Three bodies collapsed with the metal discs in their throats whilst a fourth sank down screaming now with one less eye than he'd had before. Gunshots rang out as Shiva forward rolled behind one of the booths. On her knees, Shiva reached back and drew out the short knives from each of her heels. Vaulting over the booth as cushions exploded in a ball of feathers and bullets, Shiva threw the blades. Two more men fell with their throats splayed open. Shiva reached the final four.

With the first, Shiva jumped and wrapped her thighs around his neck. Shiva backflipped and brought the guard with her, snapping his neck and tossing his body off the balcony. Landing on her hands and knees Shiva swiped out with her leg sending a guard toppling onto his front. It only took a second to dig her fingers into his eye sockets and pop his eye balls. Moving on, Shiva parried away a fist from a guard. Two punches to the chest and a spinning kick to the throat sent the guard into a glass table. The final guard fired his pistol twice. Shiva darted to the side and was on him in a heartbeat. Both her hands twisted his gun hand and with the correct pressure in the correct places, the man fired a bullet through his forehead. Shiva sat down beside Isiah Bell who had urinated all over his nice leather couch.