The Convergence by David Scholes

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She was a tough and resourceful New York City cop. Which had to count for something. Even in this place.

Kirsten's struggles in the twisted plasti-metal rubble caught the attention of the indigenous feral youth. Three of them in fact. All of them tall rangy types in late teens or early twenties. One had a wicked double edged blade that would have made a Gurkha's kuri knife seem tame. Another, with the look of a boxer, had late model energy enhanced knuckledusters. The third carried some sort of energy weapon but it was low on charge.

All three were wearing cheap exo-skeletons and were definitely boosted up, high on the familiar boostein drug which had only served to enhance these already violent times.

Not that the time displaced Kirsten was aware of all of this. Some of these things simply didn't exist in her time. Not demonstrating fear she backed away slowly, fire arm raised and pointing variously at each of the three. The boys seemed to be working her into a corner.

Then the big man came in fast seemingly from nowhere. He dealt with the knife wielder first, judging him the most dangerous. He broke the youth's knife arm in the process of disarming him then knocked him unconscious or perhaps worse with what may have seemed like a haymaker but involved little apparent effort.

The youth with the depleted energy weapon thought he had plenty of time. Knowing it was low on charge he wanted to get a good shot in. In fact he had hardly any time at all. A blur of metal, too fast for the eye to see properly, knocked the energy weapon from the boys grip cutting his hand in the process before returning to the big man in one flowing movement. The young mans scream was cut short as he doubled in excruciating pain from a blow to the solar plexus. The thick wide belt at the base of his sleeveless shirt being inadequate protection against such a powerful blow. . He lay folded over writhing in agony.

Kirsten's rescuer was faster and then some than any of the three youth even with their exo-skeletons and boostein. This was not entirely surprising. In the distant future from which he had been displaced he had never encountered a faster humanoid, even with all his travels among the stars.

Kirsten took care of the aspiring young pugilist, though surprisingly she emptied her firearm in doing so. The boy was fast and somehow used his energy knuckledusters to deflect two of the primitive projectiles. The stranger could have intervened dealing the same fate for the youth as befell his fellows. Instead he seemed happy to look on. Perhaps curious to see how the woman handled herself. He was not unimpressed as three of Kirsten's bullets hit their intended target before the boy collapsed.

A fourth youth even more feral looking than any of the first three and ready for agro slunk away after seeing how his friends fared. All of a sudden he didn't seem nearly so tough. Still he started waving to attract the attention of a large group of more distant youth.

Several plasteel form buildings stood out among the rubble of this place.