Actually, I Can Fight Too

The cough made the two women fighting in the room turn to look at Li Ke.

When Jinx saw that it was Li Ke, her pretty blue eyes lit up, shining brightly. But, surprisingly, the little maniac quickly calmed down again.

"Get out! You idiot!" Jinx cursed at Li Ke.

Li Ke: ???

I came to help. Why is she still cursing me?

There was a reason Jinx acted this way.

Insecure as she was, the instant she saw Li Ke, her first instinct was to call for help, hoping he would come to her rescue. But she quickly remembered what Li Ke was capable of. He—Li Ke—was going to fight Big Sister?

Ha. Better forget it.

Although she had only been around Li Ke for a week, they had been childhood friends, after all. Jinx wouldn't say she cared all that much about him, but she had to admit he did hold a small place in her heart.

Her heart wasn't very big. A girl with pink hair occupied nine-tenths of it. That girl was her whole world.

The remaining tenth didn't belong to Li Ke, either. It belonged to Silco. Still, during their time together, Li Ke had been using a little shovel to dig himself a place in Jinx's heart.

So it wasn't that she didn't care about Li Ke.

She was obsessive and crazy, but that didn't mean she was actually insane.

She was simply desperate for acceptance and security, and needed other people's attention and approval.

Li Ke had given her exactly that. He'd never said so, but Jinx knew she had plenty of little flaws. Lots of people had told her as much—Milo, Vander, Vi, and Silco. They'd all complained that she was annoying, a real pain.

But Li Ke had never said that about her.

Even though she'd been pestering Li Ke in all sorts of ways lately, and couldn't even sleep quietly at night, he'd never complained that she was a nuisance.

In Li Ke, Jinx found a little of the feeling she'd had with Vi. That feeling soothed her shattered heart and made her feel safe.

Put simply, she needed someone to dote on her.

Jinx used to hear that grating voice of Milo's all the time. But during this time with Li Ke, she hadn't heard that awful, grating voice again.

And so, Jinx didn't want Li Ke to die.

Call it caring about Li Ke, refusing to admit she was a menace who got the people around her killed, or a drowning person grabbing the last straw.

She didn't want Li Ke to die.

"Get lost." When Sevika saw Li Ke, she said coldly.

As far as Sevika was concerned, this guy's sudden appearance posed no threat.

He had no weapon, looked weak, and didn't even have a tattoo.

What threat could an ordinary Zaunite pose to her?

When Li Ke didn't leave, Sevika didn't waste time. Her Mechanical Arm held Jinx in place while her other hand swiftly went to her waist. She drew her pistol and aimed it at Li Ke, ready to fire.

"Big Sister Sevika," Li Ke said softly.

"..."

"Li Ke?" Hearing his voice, Sevika froze. She looked at his face and black hair, then instinctively blurted out his name.

"It's me, Big Sister." Li Ke nodded.

He was one of the Children of Black Alley, and one of Vander's kids. Vander protected almost all the orphans from Black Alley, so Li Ke had naturally spent time with Sevika.

He was about Vi's age, and a boy. When he was little, Li Ke had run errands for Sevika, and he and Malson's group of kids had been close to her, too.

"What are you doing here?" Sevika lowered her gun.

Jinx seized the opportunity and raised her leg, driving her knee toward Sevika. But Sevika simply thrust her elbow out. Her Mechanical Arm twisted, slamming its elbow into Jinx's stomach.

"Ugh—"

Jinx spat up bile and began coughing violently.

"Big Sister, can't we just talk this out?" Li Ke said, rubbing his hair.

Li Ke genuinely liked this character, who had a lot of screen time in the Twin Cities. And in his childhood memories, Sevika had been good to him and Malson's group of kids.

It was strange, though. Sevika clearly didn't like Jinx and Vi staying with Vander, but she had treated Li Ke and Malson well.

She was strict, had a sharp tongue, and had even hit Li Ke and Malson before. But she had also looked after them.

Sometimes, Sevika would even give the kids extra rewards for running errands. In Li Ke's heart, if Vander was a kind father, then Sevika was a stern big sister.

And then there was Sevika's relationship with Jinx in the later parts of the Twin Cities. How to put it? Li Ke thought it felt a bit like a personal maid and a fallen crime-family heiress.

Li Ke suddenly wondered if Sevika disliked Vi and Jinx because she thought they had made Vander weak.

After all, in Sevika's heart, Zaun's dignity mattered more than anything.

"This isn't your business. Get the hell out of here. I'll pretend I never saw you," Sevika said to Li Ke.

Her expression was calm, her tone icy.

"Can you let Jinx go first?"

"You already know her name is Jinx?" Sevika froze, then looked at Jinx. "I see. So you've been with Li Ke all this time?"

"What, is that not allowed? Why do you have to stick your nose into every little thing? Are you a pair of damn underwear? Silco tells you to cover for him, and you do?" Jinx endured the pain and yelled at Sevika, drool running from the corner of her mouth.

"Do you know you're going to get him hurt?" Sevika's voice turned even colder.

"Bullshit! I haven't done anything!" Jinx shot back.

Here we go again! They're saying I'm a menace again!

"Six Enforcers died in the Upper City. You left your graffiti and grenades at the scene, too. They're looking for you, and you still say you're not putting Li Ke in danger?"

"I... They won't find me!"

"Big Sister," Li Ke spoke up.

"So you've stopped listening to me?" Sevika turned to look at Li Ke, then continued, "Li Ke, you've gotten pretty capable, huh?"

"You've forgotten how I used to teach you a lesson, is that it?"

"I'll say it again: leave, Li Ke. This isn't something you should get involved in. You're not one of us."

Sevika raised her right hand and punched Jinx hard in the stomach, using eight-tenths of her strength. Jinx doubled over like a shrimp and collapsed to the floor.

Then Sevika turned and walked toward Li Ke.

"I've thought it over. I'll throw you out myself."

Li Ke glanced at his Attribute Panel, then thought about the tests he'd done on his body in private.

Then he looked at Sevika and smiled.

"Big Sister, there's something I want to tell you."

Sevika wiped her fist as she walked toward Li Ke. "What?"

Li Ke looked at Sevika and opened his mouth:

"Actually..."

His body suddenly vanished from where he stood. Li Ke lunged at Sevika, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow. His fist was already blasting toward her chest.

"I can fight too."