Creed's Firecracker

"Girl's mine," Victor snorted as he strode in, hand on his gun. "Where is she?"

"Where is who?" asked the Madame.

"Don't be dumb with me, frail," Victor muttered. "I'm talking bout a frail named Jubilation Lee. Maybe ya rats heard of her…"

"WE don't have anyone by that name…"

"One of yer little whores," he said. "I'm looking for her. Seventeen, about five foot nutin, looks like da frail in da picture…"

"Ohhh, you mean Jewel," said Madame.

"I'm afraid she's already with a john…"

"What was that?" Creed asked. "Did I hear dat right… cause if I did… I'm gonna be pretty pissed…"

"Now I'm sure we can find you a lady who would keep you as much company…"

"Ya see, we got a problem with communicatin' I think," said Victor as he glanced down at his nails. "And it'd be a real shame if I had to go lookin' thru dis cat house of yers to be sure yer not messing wit me…"

"Excuse me, is there a problem Mister…"

"Creed," he said. "Maybe ya heard of me?"

"Um yes… actually you DO look familiar…"

"Aint' dat special," Creed laughed. "So you know that it ain't a good idea to make me unhappy. Cause if dat DID happen, things kinda end up going wrong… like glasses being broken, and den maybe a few arms or skulls…"

He nudged the glass that was sitting on the bar closest to him, and it shattered.

"I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement… you want a girl… we have plenty…"

"I want dis one," said Creed. "Someone was telling me a pretty fascinatin' yarn about how she was sold t' da Princess Bar… and its pretty interesting cause dis girl happens to be da same as a whore ya call Jewell…"

"Ladies, ladies of the evening," said Shaw. "I believe that's the term…"

"Aw why be all fancy about it?" Creed snickered. "Or are ya too proud ta' tell it like it is?"

"Mister. Creed you are known to us having performed some services in the past," Shaw said with a cough. "Allow me to inform you that we plan on cooperating with you if you conduct yourself in a civilized manner…"

"Don't worry I'm housebroken," said Creed with a sarcastic sneer. "But I'd be more worried bout youse if you don't come clean an' let me see this Jewel girl…"

"I was telling him that she was unavailable," said Madame.

"Then why am I smellin' her now all over HIM?" asked Victor as he sniffed Shaw, and then the chubby silken gentleman with the bad toupee. He got up and pushed him aside, and then wandered quickly towards the back. Shaw snapped his fingers, and motioned to black suited bouncers who were moving discretely among the brightly clothed escorts, hookers, and their johns.

Cigarette smoke cleared as he heard a familiar American voice cursing someone out. "Hey lemmie go you dweebs…"

"You're going to earn your keep," said a hushed voice.

"Mister. Creed… I must insist…"

"Shaddap," he snapped as he pushed past them and wandered into the back. Before they could cach up, he had rounded the bend past the rear of the club where the back stairs led to the rooms.

"Hey, hey you!" Creed yelled.

Dressed in a miniskirt of tight silk, the dark haired girl flicked her head around at the familiar voice. Was she hallucinating when she heard his shout? "Am I hearing things?"

"Shut up. You are GOING to room 10 with Mister Nagoya. Madam wants you to show him a good time. If you don't it will be the WORSE for you…" hissed Kwannon as she pushed the blade of the psychic knife further into Jubilee's back.

"Hey, frail! You there… I wanna talk to ya!" Victor snapped as he rounded the corner. Jubilee turned and saw her would be rescuer. Long blonde hair was tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and the long duster coat and the tan suit beneath concealed his massive muscular body. Eyes gleamed ferally despite the business togs, and she felt a sense of relief and fear. Of all the people who had come after her, HIM?

"Creed?" she asked. "No freaking way…"

"That you, Jujube?" he asked. "Holy fuckin' shit…"

"She's already occupied…"

"Step away from the frail, Jap," said Victor. "I want her."

"Excuse me…"

"Stop RIGHT there. I want HER," Creed snapped. "Better listen if ya know what's good for ya…"

"You heard the man," Jubilee said as Kwannon held her with a psychic dagger to her throat.

"You have the same taste in women as a fellow I remember… named Patch…" said Kwannon as she put the blade closer to jubilee's neck. "But you'll have to wait for this one. She's already entertaining a very important client…"

"No, let me GO!" Jubilee yelled as she struggled, and there came the crackling of the inhibitor collar around her neck.

"You will do as you are TOLD, girl," Kwannon hissed as she pushed the psychic daggar into Jubilee's back, and she gritted her teeth in pain.

Her hands misted blue and she felt her life flashing before her eyes. Victor snorted, his eyes flaring white as he let a feral snarl come over his lips. "Sister, ya have a facility for the flamin' obvious. Let the frail go, or it'll be the worse for ya…"

"Madame!" Kwannon snapped as she pushed Jubilee towards the steps.

"I want the frail, bitch. Let her go now," Victor snarled in his throat. His wrist flexed, and Jubilee saw four claws sprout out. She dropped as they slashed inches from her, and the woman released her, keening in pain.

"Oh god," Jubilee gasped as Creed stepped towards her. "Get me out of here!"

"You wouldn't believe what I went through ta find ya, frail," Creed complained as his hand was outstretched and Jubilee saw a flurry of black.

"Not so fast, girl…" said Kestrel, and she was grabbed in the arms of a black suited bouncer who had come down the steps in response to her captor's cry. A flurry of weapons and she saw the flash of his claws as he slashed and batted back the others with gloves. Claws retracted, and she heard gunshots.

"Son of a BITCH," Creed snarled. "You made a BIG mistake, asshole…"

"You uncivilized animal. She is best left to us. I have several interested parties that would be MOST interested in her…" came the voice she hated. Jubilee raised her hands and paffed the blind captor. She kicked away, and saw the movement of black as someone grabbed her, and hauled her to her feet.

"RRAAGGHH," Creed snarled, and she heard the hiss of sparks as a pain stick was shoved into his side, and he crumpled in agony. Still he shoved and pushed at them, snarling and tossing the black suited bouncers who tried to get a hold of him.

"Let me go, goddamn it!" she shouted as they threw her over their shoulder and carried her out.

"This way…" said Kwannon as she spat blood out of her face. "Room ten…"

"Someone had better hope they restrain that animal," whispered Kestrel, who carried Jubilee over his back.

"Goddamn it, let me GO!" Jubilee screamed.

"Shut up…" he hissed as he pressed the hated flat object to her side, and the world erupted into a series of painful flashes. She sucked in her stomach in pain as she heard the door opening, and she was set on her feet.

"Will you BEHAVE!" Kwannon hissed. "You're only alive because we have NEED of you. Better be glad we don't kill you here and now… ungrateful…"

"I wish you friggin would," Jubilee hissed.

"My apologies sir," said Kestrel as he walked towards the open door, and pushed Jubilee in. "Here is Jewell as you requested."

"Behave, and you'll be rewarded. Keep acting like a fool, and it will be the worse for you," Yukio hissed in Jubilee's ear. "He's waiting for you, and he's loaded…"

"Ahh, there she is… you are a pretty one, aren't you," said the fancily dressed client, his cufflinks topaz and his teeth bonded. He was middling aged, balding, and disgustingly fat. Shaw's second in command.

"What do you want," Jubilee muttered as she felt another surge of pain wrack her. She was thrust in from behind, and the door was slammed and locked behind her. Noises from the club below were banished as she stumbled towards the john in his fancy armani suit.

"Mmm, you ARE every bit as lovely as they said…" he laughed as he swung her and she tasted liquor on his breath. Combined with something akin to bad breath.

"Let me go," Jubilee groaned as she felt her head swim.

"Shall we get to know one another?" he asked as he started to grope her body. Jubilee twisted in his grasp, pushing away.

"You dweeb you'd better get your filthy hands off me!" Jubilee yelled, kicking and screaming.

"You're mine, I paid for you," he said as he held up the remote control and pressed the switch. Sparks of pain erupted and she shrieked as her legs wobbled and he grabbed her up.

He dropped her onto the bed, and laughed. "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Shinobi Shaw's number two, big fuckin' deal," said Jubilee, hugging her stomach in pain. She pushed herself up off the bed, seeing him sitting down on the edge of it and leering at her.

"I paid good money for entertainment. I had little idea it would be someone so feisty… but if you please me..," he said as he reached out and put a wad of cash on his bedside table. "This is yours…"

He slid off his jacket, and tossed it down. Then he crawled across the bed towards her, his hands extended. Jubilee felt him grab her roughly and yank her towards him, then pin her down on the bed under him. Angrily she spat in his face, and brought up her knee into his groin. But he twisted away, so she hit his hip instead.

"Get the hell away from me…"

"That wasn't nice, Jewell," he snapped. She bit into his arm, and he released her long enough for her to try and crawl away. Unfortunately his hand grabbed her dress and yanked her back, while the other grabbed a handful of her short hair and bent her head backwards.

"Get bent, asshole," Jubilee spat in his face as he reached for her.

"You had better treat me well, or else…" he said as he raised his hand, and she felt him slap her hard.

"Fucker…" Jubilee hissed, scratching his face with her fingers. She fought like a hellcat, kicking and screaming as he tried to pin her to the bed, and reached for his belt buckle.

"Shut up and lay still," he snarled, slapping her again so she saw double. Hands tore at her dress, squeezing her breasts hard as he shoved his knee between her legs. His mouth came close as he tried to kiss her. Jubilee jerked her head away, screaming. If only she could use her powers, but that damn collar…

"Back away from the frail, puke," said a low snarling voice. Jubilee glanced up to see Creed standing over him, claws gleaming on his fingertips as he approached the bed.

"Get your own girl, gaijin…" he snorted. "I'm busy…"

"She's mine, punk… I suggest ya move away or else I'll get really pissed," Creed snapped as Jubilee shivered.

"I'm in the middle of something," said the john as he reached for his belt, pinning her to the bed with his fat legs.

"Get OFFA HER!" Creed roared. He grabbed the man as if he were a rag doll and plucked him off Jubilee. The next thing she saw was him flying through the air and landing against the bureau. He grunted, and Creed pulled out the gun that he had in his waistband, and aimed it right at the man. A shot cracked out and hit him in the shoulder, and he groaned in pain.

"Oh god…" Jubilee coughed as she spat blood, and Victor Creed sat down on the bed. He retracted his claws and she felt his hand slip around to touch her face.

"Did he break anything, pup?" he asked. "Ya okay…"

"I…" Jubilee trailed off, feeling sick. "He…"

"C'mon let's get you outta here," Creed said as he pulled off his coat and draped it around her. "Before sunshine wakes up…"

Jubilee started shivering and Creed gently picked her up. Carefully he carried her out of the room.