The Final End of Hammerhand

The mean streets of Las Vegas, Marcus Anderson and Tarrasque are walking down the empty sidewalks. They landed in Las Vegas not long ago and were not able to secure a ride to where Chris Parsons has his penthouse. So, they’re on foot.

Anderson: So, the Rumble. How do you think you’re going to do?

Tarrasque flexes his muscles with a grin.

Tarrasque: Me won SWAT rumble. This like that, only more people. Simple.

Marcus and Tarrasque are passing a dark alley between two buildings when they hear a woman screaming.

Woman: Oh no! Stop! Help me! Rape!

Tarrasque looks at Marcus with alarm and Marcus motions.

Anderson: Go, Tarrasque!

Tarrasque takes off down the alley where he runs for nearly two blocks where he finds a woman with her back against the wall while being surrounded by three men dressed in all black. She looks scared until she sees Tarrasque running toward them.

Woman: Help me!

Tarrasque shoulder charges into the trio in front of the woman. He grabs one by the back of the head and slams him face first into the wall, bursting his nose like a bubble. He turns and seizes another by the throat, hitting a choke slam. He turns to the third guy, who puts up his fists as if ready to fight. Tarrasque just smiles.

Tarrasque: Boo.

The man screams in fright and runs off into the night. Tarrasque turns around to see if the woman is alright and walks straight into tranq dart being shot into his chest. He looks down at the dart and at the woman, who smiles as she holds the tranq gun.

Woman: Sorry. All a part of the plan.

She shoots him in the chest with two more darts. Tarrasque falls to his knees and then to the ground.

At the sidewalk, Marcus looks at his watch. It’s been a few minutes since he heard any signs of a struggle. Tarrasque must have taken care of the woman’s attackers by now.

Anderson: Tarrasque! Are you alright?

?: He won’t be joining us, Marcus.

Marcus freezes in his tracks. He knows that voice. He sees a dim red glow coming from the dark alley that takes the shape of “Hammerhand” Blake Luthor. He walks in a pair of jeans and an open button up shirt that exposes the red glowing stake in his chest. He flexes his fingers, giving off the sound of metallic pings.

Anderson: What do you want, Blake?

Luthor: You! You were the one to see to it that PHI was shut down and made sure that I lost my job. I nearly went back to prison because of you!

Marcus just shrugs.

Anderson: You’re a killer and Ryan Cullen knew it! He’s a criminal, you’re a criminal. The place deserved to be shut down. You deserve to be in the electric chair though and not prison.

Blake Luthor nods, walking calmly toward Marcus.

Luthor: I understand. Though, I need you to understand this. I’m going to kill you.

Anderson: Never!

Marcus snaps off a hard right hand to the mouth that snaps Blake’s head to the side. Blake grins as he wipes a trickle of blood from his chin.

Luthor: You still hit like a child…

Blake grabs Marcus by the shoulder and slams a fist into his ribcage a few times. He shoves Marcus back, though still doubled over. He uppercuts Marcus, sending him flying backwards to the ground.

Luthor: I’m going to enjoy this.

Marcus gets up to his feet, coughing up blood. Blake takes another swing, clipping Marcus in the side of the head in a blow that sends him head first back to the ground. Marcus just lays on the ground as if dead.

Luthor: Get up.

Blake kicks Marcus in the face, sending a splatter of blood across the sidewalk.

Luthor: I said get up. Make this enjoyable for me.

Marcus gets to his feet, blood streaming from his nose. Blake goes for another right hand hook when Marcus ducks into a lunge, punching Blake right in the nuts in a blow that stuns the pit fighter. Marcus stands up fully, grabbing Blake, and hitting a lifting inverse sto! It’s the finishing move once used by his father.

Marcus stands up, staggering a little. He looks down the alley where Tarrasque had gone, worry plain on his face.

Anderson: If you hurt Tarrasque…

Marcus begins running down the alleyway as Blake Luthor starts to get back up already. Blake smiles.

Luthor: Run, Marcus. Make this more fun for me.

Marcus gets a block away when he finds the way blockaded by two bloody men and a woman with a tranq gun, who aims it at him.

Woman: Going someplace?

Anderson: What have you done with Tarrasque?

Woman: He’s taking a little nap while you die.

Anderson: Why are you helping Blake kill me?

Woman: My name is Angela DeWitt and I used to work for PSW. These two were stage hands. You cost us our jobs!

Blake Luthor arrives on the scene, grabbing Marcus by the shoulder from behind, and hitting a kidney punch that drives Marcus to his knees.

Luthor: You brought down more than just me when you ended PHI, Marcus. Time to accept your death.

Blake grabs Marcus by the blonde hair and raises his other fist high with a grim smile.

Luthor: Any last words?

A sudden motion catches Marcus’ eye. He spits blood onto the ground and grins.

Anderson: Just that you’re all finished.

Blake just shrugs.

Luthor: Brain damage.

Just then, Angela DeWitt and one of the stage hands are knocked to the ground as an enraged Tarrasque charges through. Blake looks on in shock as Tarrasque charges into him, hitting a spear hard enough to nearly take him out of his boots. Instead of going down, Tarrasque lifts Blake up, and slams him against the wall of the nearest building. Angela DeWitt stands up with her tranq gun, taking aim at Tarrasque.

DeWitt: I’ll make sure that you stay down, you freak!

Marcus lunges across the distance between him and her, grabbing her arm that’s holding the tranq gun, and moves her aim away. Angela fires the weapon, taking the rising stage hand in the eye. Marcus headbutts her, breaking her nose like an overripe tomato.

Tarrasque palms Blake’s face and slams the back of his head against the brick wall a few times before pulling him in, lifting him up, turning, and power bombing him onto the hard ground. He looks at the remaining stage hand that is standing, who takes off running.

Marcus releases the unconscious Angela DeWitt, picking up the tranq gun, and putting two darts into her chest for good measure. He tosses the gun back to the ground and turns to Tarrasque.

Anderson: Thank you for the save, Tarrasque.

Tarrasque: You family! Me glad help. What do him?

Marcus stands next to the downed Blake and looks down at him.

Anderson: He’s like a zombie. The only thing keeping him alive is that red glowing stake in his chest.

Tarrasque blinks in confusion.

Tarrasque: Him want brains?

Marcus laughs, digging into his jacket pocket to produce a pack of cigarettes. He takes one out and lights it.

Anderson: I don’t think he’s that kind of zombie. You think we should-

Tarrasque reaches down, grabs the red glowing stake, and rips it out of Blake’s body with a spray of blood.

Marcus spits onto the ground in disgust.

Anderson: Maybe we could have waited until my mouth was closed. Can you break it? Just so it’s never used again.

Tarrasque hefts it for a moment and then snaps it in half with a shower of red sparks. The stake turns to a cold black that Tarrasque drops both halves to the ground.

Anderson: And that is why you are going to be the winner of the Rumble. You do the things that no one else will.

Tarrasque: Me am strong!

Anderson: Yeah, baby! Let’s go find Parsons!

Marcus takes a few steps and swoons, grabbing onto the brick building for support. Tarrasque comes to his aid with a concerned look. Marcus clutches at his ribcage a bit.

Anderson: Just a mild pain. Let’s go.

Tarrasque gives Marcus a look and gently raises Marcus’ shirt to reveal a large spreading bruise.

Tarrasque: Find Parsons later. Hospital first.

Anderson: Oh, if you insist…

Tarrasque: Let us get few blocks away before calling hospital.

Tarrasque motions to the dead Blake Luthor and the unconscious stage hand and Angela. Marcus just grins.

Anderson: Sometimes, my man, you are a genius.

Tarrasque: Me know. Me know.