Rooftops are a super’s best friend. You can see a lot from a rooftop and odds are that a lot can’t see you. Getting the drop on your opponent so often means winning even if you would otherwise be outclassed. Sometimes just one extra hit before you start trading hits means you win just narrowly, and a narrow victory is still a victory in every way that counts.

Sure, unless you have some sort of power that makes roof jumping any safer than it would be for a normal that’s not a very good option but staying in good shape makes getting around In an area with similar sized buildings a cinch. Most of the time roof jumping is overrated anyway, but I won’t really get into that. It’s boring.

Being back up on the rooftops on patrol is still a new feeling even if I’ve been doing this for a month or so it still feels brand new. Time is a funny thing though. Some things you can get used to in a day and it can feel like you’ve always had it. Other things take years and you keep on forgetting even if you’ve devoted your life to that new ideal, purpose, or action. More rambling though. I’m just a little nervous. Stepping across the rooftop, I can just almost swear that I can hear something behind me. I keep turning around but of course there’s never anything there. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing, it just means if there is that I’m not seeing it. I don’t like that feeling.

Okay, I can give up the paranoia. I’m better than I used to be. If I can tangle with witches like Yanta I don’t think that some run of the mill rooftop villain is going to be the end of me.

I don’t know how the hell she pulls it off, there’s nothing above me at all, but from somewhere up above a woman drops down into a classic crouch that brings up images of web bondage. The woman is dressed in an almost freakishly tight white cat suit that clings to each and every single little curve on her body and not a single curve is a disappointment. There’s some writing on her chest but I can’t make it out, and correct me if I’m wrong but staring at some woman who dropped out of no where’s chest just doesn’t sound especially intelligent even for me. It looks like it reads “SS.“ In beautiful contrast her long dark brown hair covers over her face and the whole sight of her is enough to make me have to catch my breath for a moment even if I know that this woman is definitely not someone to consider finding any more attractive than I have to.

I can practically hear the 16 bit battle music gearing up in the background.

Once I’ve fully assessed the situation, or rather once I’ve given her the once over, I pause and then jump back defensively. Any moment something is going to hit the fan and I’d rather it not be me. It actually hasn’t been for awhile—I’m not eager to change that. “Who are you?!”

The mysterious woman springs forward into a handstand from her crouch and lands in a fighting stance on her feet. Her hair moves out of the way of her face for a very fair and pretty view. She’s grinning in that cocky way that no one likes to see but everyone likes to feel and her teeth are so white they flash as she grins. “The name, is Caress.” Her hands are covered up with elbow length white gloves, and her feet my knee length white boots. I’ll admit it’s not original, but I still hate fighting someone who dresses at all like me.

“Caress, huh? And to what do I owe the honor…?” Now that I know I won’t be offending a possible friend by looking aggressive I take my own fighting stance and shift my weight back and forth between my feet to make sure I’m not flatfooted. I might not be primarily a fighter but I can more than hold my own in a fight and it’s not often that I necessarily have to. In my stance I keep my hands in knife hands, not fists, and each of my fingertips shine through my white gloves just faintly silver. It’s not especially threatening but it makes sparking someone up during a fight a lot easier.

In a flash of white a boot zooms at my face, and a glove to my neck. I manage to deflect the foot and dodge the chop but only narrowly, but in dodging she just barely grazes my cheek with her other hand. It’s the sort of motion that just screams “I could have hit you harder”. In a flash she just stops and slowly pulls back. “Anonymous mutual friend I assume. Contracts are like that. You don’t always know who you’re working for.”

She’s so fast I’m already panting and feeling myself sweat just a little. It’s not even as if I’m out of shape, this woman is just really good! I pull back a little too, repositioning myself, and trying to find some way to make the layout of the roof work to my advantage. “Ah… So I see… And somebody wants me taken care of, huh?”

“You could say that.” Just as I realize how stupid I was for not realizing she’ll do it, Caress steps sideways behind one of those large air conditioning units that plague rooftops and disappears completely out of my view. Damn it! Losing sight of the enemy is just not a smart thing to do!

Eyes wide I slowly look around for a closer fire escape than the one two buildings back that I used to climb my way up here. With a fighter that skilled I want to be on flat ground. I’m much better with a net, and falling five feet as opposed to falling even fifteen is a good enough net for me!

Before I can react to it the sound of soft padding, quiet sprinting of feet moving faster than I can ever imagine myself pulling off, and then a foot presses against my ankle and a hand against my back. Hands grasp and twist me in the air and I’m caught in the classically cliché romantic dance dip, and Caress’s brown eyes are now just a mere inch a way. “We’re going to have so much fun.” Her lips just barely brush mine and I try not to gasp as I’m pulled back up and spun away as if this truly were a dance as she laughs.

The sweat covering my body turns cold as I shudder, trying to recover and just stay still at the ever so ridiculously dizzying feeling of being spun. Not only does the woman fighting me have to be attractive, but she just dipped me down and almost kissed me! Gah! “I don’t think so, Caress… I can be a real spoil sport!” I pop a silver spark out of my right pointer finger and aim it out in front of me, ready, like a loaded gun.

“So cute when you’re mad!” A finger slides down the back of my neck and… How did she get behind me?! Another finger just barely moves across my lips and that quick bitch laughs. Another finger strokes across my ear and I always melt into it but… One of her legs comes up and around, almost blurring but I manage to raise up my arms to form a block that resembles an “x”. The kicks feels like it has no force, even though I end up skidding back from it.

“I am not cute!” My hands stay up front. This is not good. When I get back home, I am going to train rigorously as I can. No doubt about it… I feel so silly and stupid for having arched to those fingers. Normally the reason I’m good at fighting is because I’m quick, but compared to this woman I’m slow as it gets! I couldn’t spark her even If she would stay still for a god damned minute. “Stop it!”

Without hesitation she follows up with another kick, a punch, and several other blows but they’re the simple ones again and blocking them isn’t any challenge at all. I hate being able to tell that she’s good enough to be pummeling me into a pulp but instead she’s just toying with me, or worse. Right after those easily blocked moves though one of her gloved hands moves firmly over my arm, sliding up and suddenly I’m in the air and landing smoothly and softly onto my back. I can hear someone—no doubt Caress—bouncing in her fighting stance and laughing at me from somewhere above and beyond my range of vision which at the moment is not really all that impressive.

The rooftop doesn’t feel good on my back even if I didn’t fall all that bad and as the growl comes out of my throat without me really even wanting to I’m not too surprised. That hand had felt nice, but focusing on that is as good of an idea as staying on the ground. I push myself up and start to rise as a shiver squirms its way through my body. “What the hell are you doing?!”

When I’m almost about to be standing Caress’s surprisingly soft boot is suddenly against my chest and with what is likely no effort at all she presses me down into the rooftop. Her foot twists just a bit, strong but not painful, and with only one foot she has me pinned. “Playing with you. What does it look like?”

I look over her boot and squirm as she keeps twisting her foot. Damn, this is not going to be fun. Still, with her foot there and not both of her feet on my ankles I have a prime opportunity to try sparking her up. “Playing? So that’s what they call it now?” Quick as I can I reach my hands up to try and grasp tight at her ankle and flood her body up with sparks. If I can just pull that off, then not only do I get to win against a vastly superior opponent, but The Lady would get a new rather competent agent. As my hands almost grasp the weight on my chest doubles. The woman is standing only on me, with he other foot up in the air, balancing on me. It’s strange, but it’s enough to stop me from being able to move or breathe especially well.

By the time my hands actually almost grab her foot she’s spring boarded off of me, and lands on her back right next to me with a wide grin that makes me want to smash her face in. She’s just laying there, grinning at me like a damned idiot! “I like the stars here in the city. Up on the rooftops the lights hardly drain them out at all.”

“You-you-you!” The shock of it wears off a little more and my face finally contorts to show that tight suited bitch just how angry I am. I really could use some more intense combat training. She’s acting more like this is a choreographed stunt fight for a movie than an actual challenge and the taste that leaves in my mouth is like the one that happens when a fork hits one of my teeth. With a growl I roll on top of Caress and just stare into her eyes. “Oh, but so much blocks the view!”

It doesn’t even take a minute for me to tell that she let me roll on top of her. Just as soon as I’m about to pin her down and spark her six ways to Sunday her hands grab both of my wrists and her foot presses hard back into that same exact spot on my chest that is already so beyond sore. The whole world seems to just fly by as I soar over Caress and slam down surprisingly softly onto my back.

The fall presses all of the air out of me with a cliché “oof.” Being on my back is a position I have the feeling I’m going to either get used to or find some way to avoid. Her hands are still grasping my wrists, and the first thought that comes to mind is that I wish I knew who the hell this woman’s teacher was. “What do you want with me?!”

“Oh, laying on your back is a good start. Then you can spread your legs.” Neck twisted in a painful angle I watch as Caress releases my wrists and reaches up her legs, twisting them in that classic martial arts movie way of getting up and lands with her back to me.

Of all the things she could have said I think I expected that the least, but now at least I can get up… But I don’t, not fully. I rise up, turning my back to her as I do, and crouch on my hands and knees, neck twisting to look behind me before shooting my knee out behind me at the back of one of her knees. “What the hell do you mean?!”

Just as the blow is about to connect she moves just barely, but her hand is down and her finger brushes just barely across my booted ankle. “Joking of course. I’d prefer to see you hanging by your wrists. That’s much more fun…” Caress twists towards me and sends her own leg at me, with a kick that just barely grazes my nose. Using the momentum she keeps on moving and disappears out of my range of vision.

I can’t help but find it strange how she keeps on touching me so faintly when I know this woman could wipe the rooftop with me and barely break a sweat. It might be a smarter idea to try and run back to headquarters, but I have a feeling that would just make things worse. I can’t watch my back when I’m running after all. I don’t want to give her a straight shot at my spine.

“That really doesn’t sound better at all!” That kick took a lot of skill. I could feel how fast I moved by but it still only barely grazed. I’m beyond outclassed. Hopping up to my feet I press off with my right foot to twirl and face Caress with my rising motion, stance already half ready even before my feet hit the ground. “Semantics—but it won’t happen either way!”

When my feet do hit the ground, a fist flies right at my chest that I only narrowly block. Another three fly forward in rapid succession, to my face, stomach, face, and I manage to impress myself by blocking them all without even getting a bad block that makes me feel like I’ll be bruised from defending myself later. Before that congratulations is finished, Caress’s finger taps onto my nose, just barely. “Boop.”

My eyes cross as I stare at the finger and push her arm away, growling and jumping back. “Quit doing that!” I can’t touch this woman, and she’s too fast for my sparks. Maybe I should try and run.

As soon as I’m resettled in my new footing Caress leaps forward and her leg flashes forward with a roundhouse kick and my feet are out from under me in a blur of motion. The rooftop looks like it’s going to be very painful but Caress’s hands reach out and catch me before I fall very far at all, and I would have hit hard… Her hands pull me closer, holding me against her before a hand raises up, with those white gloved fingers and slowly trails down, over my face, from my forehead, over my nose, past my mouth, down along my chin… and it feels so infinitely relaxing.

I can feel my eyes glaze as I stare up at her and try to shake off this dazed feeling but can’t quite seem to manage it. Apparently she has to keep me alive at least until she’s brought me to whoever, but she just might have been honest about my wrists… And my ankles… Her fingers just feel so strange, so nice, and my face feels so sweetly limp, but… I can’t do this. There isn’t time, this isn’t safe, this isn’t right… ! It takes effort to make my voice work, but surely enough it does. “ Lemme go…”

She does. Her arms just uncoil as soon as my words manage to slide past my lips. Seamlessly, Caress slides back to hand to hand distance. She’s not even in a stance… That means something. I’m not sure what exactly that means yet, being as how I’m stumbling to try not to fall over painfully. That was a big shock… She actually let me go! This isn’t good, not at all. I need to get some distance between us, and spark her up. I don’t see any other way to get out of this with a victory. Keeping my eyes on her I slowly step backwards, but I’m not surprised when she starts moving forward towards me.

Step for step, Caress keeps pace with me just perfectly, staying at just the right distance. Her face wears a mocking smile, and my fingertips itch again to do more than spark her. A nice black eye would make her look a lot prettier right now. As soon as her lips start moving I know I won’t like what I hear. “What are you so afraid of?”

“You… You dropped down form nowhere, you’ve been throwing punches and kicks to get me off guard and then those weird touches…” I glare at that smile, and step back just a little quicker. “I think I get to be afraid of you!”

“And you’ve only tried to fight back twice.” Caress speeds up, and I can tell she’s closing the gap faster than I can hope to make it without tripping.

I raise up my right hand and shape it like a gun, grabbing it with the other as my right pointer finger pops out a quick spark. “You have a point!” My hand jerks up as I fire off the spark, diving forward at the same time. Jerking my hands back is more style than anything else, but every little bit counts when you’re massively outclassed.

Not surprisingly, Caress twists out of the way with a move I wouldn’t call a flourish, but definitely an over abundance of finesse. One of her hands comes forward, and two fingers press back against one of my wrists, and it’s almost gentle, almost soothing. The other hand moves before I can react to the first and slides back up to my face, her fingertips just barely touching me. “Though…” She takes a single step forward, and for some reason, with her hand on my face like that, it’s hard not to step back as she steps forward.

“Though… What…?” The feeling of her fingertips on my face is so oddly disorienting, and yet something about it almost feels normal. Stepping back when she steps forward somehow feels natural. It’s hard not to feel confused.

She steps forward again, and again, and again. I match each step with my own tentative step backwards until I can feel the heel of my boot right on the edge of the roof. “Though… I could have walked you right off if I wanted…” Slowly Caress steps back, and as the hand moves away… It’s so very tempting to just follow it again.

That makes sense, right? I don’t want to go falling over the edge, right? “You… You don’t seem to want me dead…?” Something about this situation makes my blood run cold, making me shiver as I step forward with her, matching her steps.

Maybe my fighter instincts are finally kicking in and that’s why stepping forward with her feels right…? I don’t know. That doesn’t sound right. No reason for it really does.

“No…” Her voice softens as she speaks, and it’s almost jarring. I hadn’t noticed her voice was hard before, but now it seems infinitely softer. “No, I don’t want you dead…” She takes another step back, and it doesn’t feel as nice to have her hand away from my face. Its not that it feels strange to have her fingers on my face or not, it just feels better to have her fingers against me and it feels better to not think about why. Maybe I should just follow along with her, stay close and just wait for my chance to strike…

That’s it… I’ll just wait for her to drop her guard, and then I’ll send a spark right in between her eyes… Maybe I can even ease a little closer… I watch how she moves and listen to how she speaks carefully as I can. There’ll be a sign… Then I’ll strike. Not until then… “Then tell me, what do you really want with me… You said someone hired you…?”

“Can’t tell you that…” She takes another step back, and it’s even easier to follow, with those fingers against my face… Are they pressing a little harder? Maybe a little less, and her hand keeps slowly drawing me forward. I can’t see too well past her hand, but that’s okay…

“We can settle this some other way you know…” I just stare at that hand… There’ll be a little shake to it. Maybe it’ll drop just enough for me to get a good glance… This woman is just so odd, and with a name like Caress…

I can almost hear the smile on her voice as she speaks and it makes me feel so sweetly warm in such an exquisite way. “Oh I know… I know… Good girl…” Normally being called a good girl in a situation like this feels weird, but this is different. I am following her forward. It just makes sense. It’s almost sort of sweet, in fact in spite of myself I find myself smiling more than just a bit. Yeah… I am a good girl…

Maybe Caress isn’t all that bad after all…