The thing is--fights are messy.

Especially if you are in say, a pet store. Kitty litter goes flying, falling in a shower of pellets to scatter haphazardly everywhere, lingering in dark corners and under cabinets, far from the reach of a vacuum cleaner for years remaining, until finally it cures its poignant odor into the very walls. Sadly such an event happened at Karl's when Chow round-housed kicked Brady into a five-pound bag of Fresh Step. A hole was tore into its side upon impact and further ripped when Brady picked up the bag and threw it in his adversary's direction where it imploded, the contents dispersing all over, as Chow blocked it with a nice chop of the hand. Some of the chalky granules even found their way down the front of the shocked and bewildered Chloe Lane's dress.

The poor girl was unable, even then, to process that an assassin was indeed in her midst attacking her protector. She watched dumbfounded as punches, blocks, and kicks met and re-met in a blurring exchange of fists and legs, cages knocked broken to the floor, the various animals escaping while Kevin in a panic tried to gather them all up as the fight continued moving towards the back stock room. In wonder, she witnessed Chow deliver Brady a crushing spinning hook kick to the abdomen, the small and hard back of his heel excruciatingly damaging, sending her friend crashing through the stock room door. The wood splintered everywhere jagged and sharp.

Immediately Chow followed the move with a walking stance, while Brady painfully hand sprung to his feet flowing into a Tiger stance both his knees bent to his lower body about six inches with only the ball of his right foot touching the floor slightly wincing as he prepared himself for another attack, the shattered debris on the floor dotted with his blood.

It was this sight coupled with the gash along Brady's left cheek that woke Chloe from her stupor. Shrieking 'no' she rushed Chow, to Brady's utter horror, jumping on his back, almost tripping over a school of goldfish flapping their tails helplessly in the dry air outside their overturned tank. Hence, her hold was far from solid.

The dark-eyed assailant smiled, effortlessly flipping the girl over his head and into her sprinting would-be-hero; the force of it catapulting the twosome straight back, smashing into 3 tier shelves, upending several boxes filled with fish flakes, a case of collars, and two aquariums full of yellow, black, and red striped snakes. Weakly, the couple tried to regain their feet amongst the broken glass, slithering reptiles, and trashed brick-a-brak. Pain and anxiety etched in their mirror gazes, as they sought to help each other up, time slipping into the now, slowing, halting as they stood holding onto one another.

In the following calm, their nemesis approached eerily. His movements perversely at ease while he straightened his cuffs, smoothed back his hair, and delicately dabbed at the sweat on his brow with a gray silk handkerchief pulled from his pocket. Looking with contempt at his prey, he waited-- a man of order, he found the whole affair to be beneath him and his talents-it was pitiful.

"Americans and their messes." He goaded pleased to see the young master advance.

***************------------------

Meanwhile across town at the Pick N' Save, another fight equally (if not more) disastrous was just about to break out with five thugs threatening the Robert's clan by rudely blocking the cookie aisle with their bulky bodies.

Abruptly stepping forward, pushing his son, Sami, and the widower behind him, Lucas instantly sized up the situation. In a matter of seconds he had a nickname for each man.

There was Tidy Bowl, a big bald pirate type stuffed inside a suit. Next to him stood, the Knife, the most dangerous out of the group, lean and lethal, sharp and mean, but with eyes that lacked the keen intelligence of a pro. On the opposite end of the aisle lurked Ganghus and Kahn, two steroid taking body builder types with bad teeth and fists like hammers. And lastly (and definitely least) was the Flunkie, a skinny, smarmy, and out of place nervous wreck of a man-obviously, somebody's relative since he was busy hiding behind Kahn while opening a package of Fruit Newtons, sinking his teeth into one when he thought nobody was looking.

Smiling and spreading his arms wide, palms open in a gesture of friendliness, Lucas found he was more concerned than worried.

"It's me you want, let these three go." He address Tidy while edging towards the shopping cart.

"The old man can leave. Your son, your woman will come with us. You will die." Tidy replied tersely unknowing how his statement would result in four separate yet overlapping conversations.

"I'm Not his Woman!"

"Sami shut-up!"

"Listen boy, I was a Navy Seal in my younger days, stick with me and you might live to see another sunrise."

". . .Well I'm not! Listen whoever you are, my Dad is the chief of police in this town, and he's going to Kick your Ass if you don't leave us Alone. . ."

"Dad I'm scared, are they really going to kill you?"

"No of course not Will, I'm grateful to you sir but I think I have it under control, Sami Shut UP!"

". . .So you and your Goons better hightail it Out of Here, Mr. Big, Bad, and Definatetly Ugly. . .What are you anyway, like Queequeg -"

"Sami!"

"Pipe it down Sister! Your husband has troubles enough! Queequeg indeed! Why my Edna would be rolling in her grave to hear such foul language from a lady."

"I SAID I'M NOT HIS WOMAN OR HIS WIFE! I'M NOT HIS ANYTHING!"

Wisely, as everyone in the nearby vicinity cringed and covered their ears, Lucas made his move.

First he pushed the cart as hard as he could to the north end of the isle bowling over Ganghus, Flunkie, and Kahn in the process. As he did this, he politely informed Sami that she was the mother of his son, thank you very much. Then he grabbed the good veteran's cane with a 'may I borrow this' and rushed the south end using the makeshift weapon to batter Tidy and Knife screaming at Will and Sami to run and hide.

Will did as he was told racing to the service counter to get help and find safety.

Sami on the other hand did not do as she was told. She sped to the next aisle, grabbed some can goods, and returned to the fray to beam Ganghus in the head with three cans of Chunky New England Clam Chowder before he could whack the widower for tripping up Kahn. She would of saved some of the cans for Flunkie but he ran in the opposite direction the second he saw her raise her arm.

Thus out of ammo and standing targets, Sami sped back to the neighboring aisle with the widower fast on her heels.

While all this was going on Lucas was doing his best to fend off Tidy and Knife. He'd been doing quite well, until Knife broke his cane. After that, he could no longer strike, as all his concentration became wrapped up in blocks; and no matter how rapid the succession of moves he made he started to quickly feel the blows land as Knife and Tidy worked in unison, one going for his head while the other worked his mid-section. Taking the next hits, Lucas used his hands to toss packages in the faces of his enemies and shimmed up to the top of the shelf, leaping to the next shelf/aisle before Knife and Tidy knew what he was about.

From his new vantage point he could see Sami and her cohort gathering cans, Ganghus and Kahn getting to their feet, and Will pointing at him while tugging at the sleeve of a disbelieving salesclerk.

Impulsively, Lucas jumped down next to Sami startling her into a scream, dragging her over to the meat department, the former Navy Seal trailing close behind.

"I thought I told you to get the Hell out!"

"Who Died and made you The King of the World, in case you Failed to notice, I'm Helping!"

"No you Aren't!"

"Yes I AM!"

"No Yo-I don't have Time for this. If you Want to make yourself Useful, get me some Hard Liquor. I've got to find a weapon."

"What!?"

"Just for once in your life, Do as your Told. Go Get!" He pushed her away just as the entirety of Ling's hired muscle regrouped and flanked (even Flunkie whom Tidy had pulled away from the magazine rack, an issue of Soap Opera Weekly still clutched in his trembling hands).

Once again Lucas opted for the flat out run.