Tackles Bakuda

As soon as my feet touched down, I threw myself at her in a feat of acrobatics and agility that would have left the me of three months ago wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Bakuda was halfway through her turn when I slammed into her, driving my knees into her chest and using my weight and my momentum to push her to the ground.

The landing was jarring and almost dislodged me, sending my knees into Bakuda’s shoulder joints, but I bounced and managed to stay atop her. I heard a crack like a gunshot, and Bakuda’s scream came through her mask accompanied by a mechanical buzz. She floundered beneath me, jerking, throwing her head back and into the floor. A metallic clang echoed, and in the harsh lights, flecks of red blood splattered the walkway beneath her.