Transition and Restart, book two: The Billion Dollar Empress

Chapter six, 2016, summer's end, part four

They parted ways just after the mall. It was getting late and Kyoko wanted to get home as quickly as possible. Without Yukio the streets felt darker.

Soon she came up on the road winding between the small houses where she lived. Just as she passed the playground two blocks from home she heard voices.

"Nice boobs."

That was not what she wanted to hear right now. She increased her steps and redialled the last number she had used. Fiddling with the cord she managed to plug in her headset and waited for Kuri to pick up.

"Christina Agerman. Oh, Ko-chan, what's up?"

"Kuri-chan, I just want to talk for a while."

It felt safer to hear the voice of her friend, and it was only a couple of minutes before she was home.

"Sorry, I have Ulf and Sato-sensei here. Can it wait until tomorrow?"

Urufu's with Kuri-chan? With Sato-sensei? But she really wanted someone to talk with. "If it's not too much trouble," Kyoko said.

"Ulf's here, and something bad kinda happened. I'd really want to chat later, OK?"

"OK." But it wasn't OK at all. Reluctantly Kyoko hung up and continued walking. You could just have talked with me for a while longer you know.

Behind her steps were catching up and Kyoko decided pretending she hadn't noticed was no longer a good idea. She ran.

The steps ran after her.

Around her houses loomed empty and unwelcoming. There were lights on, but they weren't her home. Panic gave her some extra speed, but she wasn't a match for whoever followed her. A few seconds later the running steps were very close and then someone grabbed her from behind.

"Talking with your boyfriend?"

Kyoko twisted and tried to push him away, but the one grabbing her was too strong. "Let me go!"

He groped her, hard. It hurt, and then a second assailant came up behind her and locked her body in his arms. She felt large hands grabbing her breasts and screamed.

From further down the street another set of feet came running.

"Let her go you bastards!"

Yukio? Kyoko tried to free herself again. Please let it be Yukio!

She heard her phone clattering to the street and the hands that grabbed her arms let go. She was still held from behind, but the first man turned to meet whoever came to her rescue.

"Let her go I said!"

It was Yukio.

He came flying trying to tackle his way through to her, but the man who had turned simply sidestepped and tripped him.

"Boyfriend to the rescue. Pathetic!"

Kyoko saw how Yukio received two vicious kicks lying down and all sense of fear left her. She grabbed one of the hands squeezing her breasts and pulled it up. She bit down on it hard and chewed with all her strength.

A pained yell later she was free.

Yukio got kicked again and then she was climbing the back of his assailant. She never had a chance, but at least he stopped kicking Yukio. Something slammed into the side of her head and she fell to the ground. Too groggy to see what happened she tried to get up on her feet, but a fist to her abdomen forced all air from her lungs and she rolled on the ground writhing in agony.