Meri no longer had need for lungs, as her kind did not breathe, but it was an ancient habit, and hard to break; the air thus whooshed from her lungs when a force like the palms of two giant hands slammed her back, breaking her grip on the doctor, and ramming her into a the side of a flatbed lorry that stood close at hand.
Did she? No, she was too far away! then, what di--! Meri thought, fighting through the sudden and unexpected haze of pain. she looked at the hole that hadripped through her shirt at that impact, and watched her utterly-crushed ribs heal and re-grow, then laughed wickedly and gleefully looked at the mercenaries' leader. "So, this time it's the woman who has the power, and the male who wields the hearty blade? Come, then, little amazon-chan, let us dance together!"
Her elation was short-lived, however, as a splinter of wood stabbed out of seemingly thin air and sank into her chest. Meri was caught off guard for a moment, but then laughed once more as she pulled out the improvised "stake."
"OHO, it's not so easy, hunter-san, your teacher did you a disservice! You must strike the heart, and even then 'tis not enough to destroy! Natron and silver-dust also, or I will rise again!" I will rise again in any case, but you need not know that, little man, she added in her head.
She was suddenly doused with cold liquid that stank of petroleum distillate, and stung the eyes so persistently that for a moment she was blinded. l had upended an jerrycan of petrol on her, and was lighting afire a sweeping brush with is lighter. as the bristles blazed, he rammed the broom into her chest, and rudely shoved her to the edge of the float and over the side as the petrol caught and Meri went up like a screaming torch. Immortal undead she might be, but the flames still HURT.
"Not on my watch, you- cough - minx," he breathed, choking in the fumes of burning gasoline and frying undead flesh. He ducked as schmeisser fire ripped the tarmac around him in a deadly staccato, and dove for the side hatch of the Dragon Wagon. "damn witch caught me on the hand. Thanks, Wil." he said as he dragged himself inside, sucking on the side of his knife hand and holstering the Colt, and sheathing the khukri with the other. "What's with... he saw Liam, and Donna fussing over him, muttering something about 'Paolo,' or was it Paulo... "Damn, why's it always the new guys get shot? Jace, what in the blue blazes did you do to that frogsticker woman? She flew back a whole five feet, or I'm Will Rogers!"