STORMSHADOW

   His lack of response only elicited a grunt of satisfaction from Axis. Iowa had been taught that a Sakuna warrior, did not completely put his trust in a weapon. “ A well-trained mind and body, is more reliable than steel or any of its equivalents,” his teacher had said.  

   Master Suzuki had demonstrated this fact on more than one occasion. As Iowa pondered this, the portal door slid open before him and a voice issued forth from the darkness within. “ Enter. If you dare!” A voice exclaimed from within the darkened room, as it burst into laughter.

   Without a moment’s hesitation, Iowa ran into the darkness to answer the challenge. Abruptly, the door slid shut behind him, sealing off the last vestige of light.

   Instinctively,  Iowa reached for his swords in the pitch like darkness and remembered,  that they were no longer at his back.  More laughter issued forth from the darkness. “ Yes. Your Master has taken your swords. It just makes it that much easier for us to cut you down, like the black dog that you are.”

   In that instant, the air around Iowa exploded with activity as multiple blades sought to bury themselves into his flesh. Iowa’s senses were on razor's edge, as he moved and counterattacked his invisible opponents.

   From the hairs on Iowa’s body and their breathing, he knew where his attackers were, and the direction of their assault at all times.  Seemingly on its own volition, the symbiont slid down over Iowa’s eyes allowing  him to see his attackers in the dark.

   There were indeed three of them, and they were playing for keeps as he had been warned. Each of them wore a black military issued exoskeleton. And by the way they moved, Iowa was certain that they had to be repatriated students of Master Suzuki or worse.

   Suddenly, the room was flooded with light. And a instant later, the symbiont adjusted so as not to let its host be blinded. The three assailants intensified their efforts as they countered Iowa’s attacks.

As Iowa kicked, chopped, punched and blocked in rapid succession, he avoided the razor edges of their blades.

139

   Iowa continued his defense and assault methodology, and fell into a rhythm.  Allowing his instincts and body to keep him alive. And then his eyes flashed upon a sword rack on the far side of the room.

   Back flipping and somersaulting so as to avoid his attackers blades,  Iowa finally made it to the rack.  Snatching up the katana, Iowa flung the scabbard into the face of the closest of his pursuers.

   And was rewarded by the sound of breaking cartilage, as the scabbard caught his assailant square in the face. But his assailant made no sound of protest, nor did he cry out in pain. Either these men where highly trained, or they were AKC’s (Assassin Killing Cyborgs ).