“Ideas, Deadblood? Really?! For starters, maybe you should stop doing whatever the hell it is you do to provoke all these crazy things! Vampires, Cyborgs and... whatever the hell this guy is!” Sheri snapped, glaring first at Deadblood and then whipping around to face their masked attacker.

“Look here, shithead. You wanna play? Let’s go. I don’t know who the hell you are or what your problem is with Deadblood, and right now I could honestly give a shit less. I do know that I have had enough shit for one night though. Your little freaky bottle trick back there was kind of impressive I’ll admit, but let me show you how exactly how it’s done.”

As she spoke she leveled that cold glare onto the masked man, sending a newspaper machine flying towards him, only for it to bounce harmlessly from that strange shield.

“I guess you weren’t paying attention back there, either. It figures, you are hanging out with this guy after all.” The man chuckled behind his mask, as the machine hit the ground with a crash, the door mechanism smashing open and papers spilling out at his feet.

Sheri gave him a cold look in response, before sending the loose papers blowing up to flatten themselves around that shield, obscuring his vision. She took off running down the street, looking for more a more favorable place to square off against the mystery man. Deadblood followed, knowing her tactics well enough by now not to ask questions.

The man laughed, dropping the shield and swatting away the newspapers before pursuing the two, Sheri’s diversion only buying them a few precious seconds for a head start.

“Go right ahead and run! You won’t be able to hide, and if this is how you want to play the game I’m sad to say it is both disappointing and it won’t end well for you!” He shouted, as Sheri ducked into an alley, Deadblood right on her her heels.

“He’s right Sheri, hiding isn’t gonna cut it, and anything you toss at him isn’t likely to have an effect. Can’t you do.. whatever it was you did to Kizmat back at the match?” He whispered, as Sheri glanced around their surroundings, pondering her options.

“What are you now, DADblood? Don’t tell me what to do. This is all your fault anyway, so shut up and let me think.” Sheri hissed, peeking out behind the corner, and suddenly spotting something promising. She took a deep breath and stepped back out from the alley to Deadblood’s shock. now it was his turn to wonder if SHE wasn’t crazy, and had just snapped under the pressure of the night’s events.

“Disappointed, huh? I don’t disappoint. Again, I don’t know what your issue is with him, but you picked the wrong person to fuck with on the wrong night.” Sheri stood out in the street, glaring, as the man came closer.

“You decided to take my advice and come on out then. That’s good. I still stand by what I said though, I was looking for a challenge and you just don’t fit the bill I’m afraid.” He replied, as he approached. Sheri smirked, and sent the glass in the storefront windows bordering the narrow street shattering with a deafening crash.

Completely nonplussed by her actions, he continued to advance, the sudden noise and raining glass doing nothing to even slow him down.

“Cute. But still, not impressed.”

Sheri began to back away then, as he continued to come closer, mentally wrenching a parking meter from the ground and sending towards him only to again deflect harmlessly from that infuriating barrier that stood between him and whatever she might throw his way. As she continued to back down the street she sent another after another his way, all netting the same result- absolutely nothing.

Deadblood chose that moment to slip out of the alley himself, katana at the ready, hoping to sneak in a blow while the masked man was preoccupied with Sheri. She suddenly stopped in the middle of the street, hands going to her hips and huffing with exasperation.

“Tough crowd, tough crowd. Okay, you got me. Still better than your bottle trick, and you know it. “

He stopped then, giving her an appraising look.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He replied, the mask giving his voice a strange muffled quality that only served to make him all the more intimidating. Sheri swallowed nervously despite her bravado as Deadblood approached silently from behind.

Just then the masked man whipped around to face him, as if possessing some sort of uncanny sixth sense.

“Ha, nice try. Your friend doesn’t bluff or distract as well as she might think. She needs to work on it, but unfortunately neither one of you are gonna have the opportunity.” His cover blown but with no other option here, Deadblood was about to engage the mysterious attacker when Sheri began to laugh loudly, as if she’d just heard the funniest joke ever.

“His FRIEND? Whoa, whoa, hold up, Hoss! I’m not his fucking friend! That asshole has cost me fucking everything, and you think I’m his FRIEND?!” Sheri shouted, drawing both of their attentions back her way.

“Sher-”Deadblood started, but she raised a hand, cutting him off.

“Shut UP. Seriously, just shut up! You have gotten me into enough shit for an entire life time, let alone one night! Look, Mr. Creepy-Freako who I don’t know, I told you I have no idea why you have a problem with him, and I honestly don’t care! You came after me too though, and THAT is MY problem with you!”

Deadblood gave her a look of utter disbelief and even the mystery man gave a moment of pause, as if considering her words. Sheri scoffed, a bench suddenly flying from across the street, narrowly missing Deadblood and slamming against the brick storefront directly behind him.

Deadblood cursed, glaring back at Sheri, still unable to believe she’d turned on him, here and now of all places.

“What the fuck, Sheri?!” He shouted, as the masked man laughed.

“Looks like you have even more enemies than you thought.” He observed, as Sheri smirked in response.

“Take it from me, he has a fucking laundry list of them. Been dealing with them all night long, and it’s extremely tiring. Tell you what. I honestly don’t want to fight you. I have had enough of that shit. Go ahead, have at him, I won’t interfere.”

"Sheri! Are you fucking serious?!" Deadblood asked, unable to believe what she was saying, unable to believe that after all they'd been through together, proving that they made a pretty good team, she had turned against him.

The masked man then suddenly turned around to fully face Deadblood, forcing him to take a few steps back, up onto the sidewalk. Of course, the masked man seemed to be trying to keep one eye on Sheri, not foolish enough to just trust her, but it was clear that he was far more interested in Deadblood and his title belts.

“Looks like she is. And I know I am.” The masked man replied, eyes going to the championship belt Deadblood bore.

“One last thing, before I take off and leave you to it.” Sheri spoke again, looking as if she were very pleased with this newest turn of events. Both men looked over in her direction at that, as Sheri flashed a brilliant smile.

“Heads up.”

With that, Deadblood felt a sharp jerk hat sent him stumbling back off the side walk and into the street, just as a small green sedan came flying up and crashed down on the awning the masked man now stood alone below. Deadblood scrambled back as the car made impact, looking on as the sudden impact took out not only the awning but brought the side of the building down with it, burying the masked man in bricks, glass, wood and twisted metal.

Deadblood climbed to his feet, and shot Sheri an incredulous look, as a small fire began to break out over the rubble.

“...that was pretty damned good, Sheri. I guess he was wrong about you needing to work on your bluffs. You had me worried there for a minute though, I gotta say.” Deadblood said, as Sheri continued to smile broadly overlooking her handiwork.

“You’re welcome,” She replied finally turning back to him, satisfied that unlike CP-ZERO the mystery man did not seem to be making a move to escape the rubble. “It worked out, I wasn’t quite sure there for a minute that it would, but it did.”

“You did great. You even had me fooled for a second there.” Deadblood sheathed the katana, also satisfied that their attacker wouldn’t be emerging anytime soon, if ever.

“Who said I was joking though?” Sheri shot back, smirking slightly. “Come on, Deadblood, let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”