Chapter 100 Test of Value

Damien watched Taran walk closer to him. He stared down at the black haired young man in front of him, Taran let out a chuckle, remembering when he started in the mafia with people like him. Trying to stop him, back then it was the police but this is not new to him, it the same mindset but different person.

"You could move out of my way and leave, You are a young man full life. Do you really want to die seeing me over your..."

Taran stopped, moving to the side, missing a bullet. He looked at Damien seeing that he had already moved at him, Damien had his gun pointed at Taran chest but Taran grabbed the gun, moving it away from him barely missing the bullet Damien shot at him, Taran tried to take the gun but Damien moved kicking him in the side, Damien felt Taran took his leg catching him off guard, talking his gun pulling it away from him,

"Let me throw this away. You don't need it,"

Taran threw it to their left, far from them. Damien pulls at his leg but Taran didn't let go, pulled his closer and hit him in the face with his brass knuckle, Damien moved back feeling the pain spread throught his face, he didn't fall Taran held on to his leg. Damien looked at him and saw that Taran had a cold stare, pulling him back and moved his right hand,

"You should've gotten out of my hold," Taran said

He went to punch Damien, but he moved away, taking Taran arm and pulling it over his shoulder. He caught Taran off guard, he lightened his grip on Damien's leg, Damien huffed but kept pulling his arm, and Taran moved his hand, having a better hold on him

"Give up, and I will take your life without bitterness,"

Damien glared at him continuing to pull, Taran kept his hold on him but he felt his leg getting stepped out from under him, Damien threw Taran over his shoulder, Taran lands on his feet turning to Damien, who stood in front of him having his hand in his pocket.Taran stared at him for a moment and saw if he had anything with him, Damien moved his hand up,

"Do you want to stand there all day and let us take the drive and case?" Damien asked

Taran glared at him and then wasn't there. Damien stared at where he was stunned and waited for Taran to strike him, Damien listened,

He heard something from behind him and went to sweep his legs. However, Taran wasn't there. Damien felt a burn on his face, while Taran was behind him punching him in the stomach looked Damien in the eyes, the shine of Tarans bown eyes gleams with deadly intent, he only fowned punching Damien away from him, Damien felt the brass knuckle hit his stomach breaking one of his ribs and he moved back, touching it, he felt the burn on his face get worse but it started on his stomach, slowly.

"You seem to be thinking of somthing, would it perhaps be the buring in your skin?"

Damien gaze went to him, Taran looked at the young man over seeing that the effect was working. Taran let out a huff and walked closer to him,

"Haven't i warned you of fighting me? It doesn't seem that you heard me.That will be your undoing Damien,"

"This is poison."

"Yes, it is. It is quick to spread through the body and stop the heart, I'm stunned you got that."

Damien glared at him, holding his side before let go, taking a step to Taran,

"Then i will take you down before it reaches my heart,"

Taran let out a chuckle and raised his hand with the brass knuckle on it. He gave him a challenging grin,

"Then let see if you can before fainting, boy,"

Damien went at Taran ignoring the pain in his stomach, he lifted up his hand going for Tarans hand, however, he moved and went to hit Damien in the stomach again, Damien caught it with his and having the brass knuckle cutting into his hand, Damien sethed holding Taran back, he looked at him coldly before switching to kick Damien in the stomach, Damien moved behind Taran wrapping his arm around Tarans head, putting him into a choke hold.Taran pulled his hand between Damien's arm and him pushing Damien away, Taran ran at him, hitting him in the face again,

"You think i would let you take me out!"

Taran punched Damien again this time on the other side of his face, Taran wasn't holding back on Damien anymore... just like he wanted. Taran kept punching him, moving back with every punch. Damien could feel the burn from the poison on his body. Taran saw that Damien stopped fighting and started to get angry by this. Didn't this young man want to fight him? Didn't he want to protect his family along with the city.

"Why aren't you fighting? Isn't this what you wanted,"

He was waiting for that moment,

"To protect them isn't that what you wanted..."

Taran stopped falling the sharp spikes from one of his brass knuckles, He stared at Damien with wide eyes while Damien stared at him. He could see the vexation in Damien's eyes.

"You feel for it."

Damien kicked Tarans arm with such strength that it knocked the other knuckle out of his grip, Taran heard a crack come from his arm lating limp on his side, he glanced at Damien but couldn't see him having his brass knuckle used on him, Taran moved away from Damien seeing him pick up his other brass knuckle, Damien took a moment to stare at him and ran to him, Taran moved away from one of his punchs but couldn't move away from the other, it hit him in the left side making him stagger,

"You have a good taste in weapons,"

Damien felt the burning on his body, watching Taran feel the same burn as his victims have. He felt it boil under his skin, wanting to break out of his skin.Taran felt Damien hit him again. Damien saw how he moved, and it made him cautious. What dose he have...

"You have the antidote on you, just in case of this event."

Taran had his hand in his suit pocket and pulled out a vile of a purple liquid. He glanced at him and grew to have some respect for Damien, he has figure him out fast. 

"That you are right, i will only take it when the one of us is dead," 

Taran puts it back in his pocket and placed his hand infont of his chest, Damien held his hand close to him trying to read at what he would do next, Taran went twords him with swift hits to Damien's shoulder, having the ripped fabric unravel and fall, Damien seethed hitting Taran in his left side hitting his broken rib, Taran bent before hitting Damien with his knee to his nose causing him to drop the brass knuckles, Taran didn't stop pulling Damien back knocking him down with his arm, Taran looked down at him holding his nose with tears streaming down his face, Taran noticed something shining in the corner it was Damien gun, 

"You seen to have an interset on my weapon, why not a look at your,"

Luke and Marcello watched this, Luke went past Marcello, grabbed the tablet, and started to warn Shepherd, most importantly Liz. He sent it and then looked at Marcello,

"We need to figure out what poison it is before it takes Daimen."

Taran moved only two steps when Damien wraps his legs around Tarans head, pulling him back. Damien pushed his legs and lifts his upper half up twisting his body flinging Tarna away from his gun, Tarna landing on his back feeling the rocks and the gravel hit his back, he looked up at Damien seeing him already had the gun in his hands. Damien has it aimed on Taran heart with his finger on the side of the gun, 

"You should yeild,"

Taran looked at him a little impressed before uttering,

"Not yet, Damien, I believe i still...

Taran had both of his hands shot at, making the brass knuckles fly off his hands. Taran let out a shout and snarled at Damien. He glared at him, making Damien coldly stare down at him, but something Taran had in his hand, the antidote for the poison was in his hand. It was broken by the bullet. 

"I have already had some, but you, my boy, will not win this." Taran told him 

Taran tried to get up, but Damien placed the barrel of the gun to his head, staring at him with the same stare, 

"You were looking to win, Taran," 

Taran glared at him but stopped by hitting him in the head, Taran fell near Damien's feet, and he looked at Taran with a crooked smile, 

"I was looking to keep you occupied." 

Damien took his brass knuckles, placing it in his pants pocket and turned, limping to the case, He felt the burning in his skin down his face to his neck. He could feel his broken rib though the swelling, the burning in his side was getting worse, feeling like burning coles scattered over his side, He grabbed the suit case and smiled, even if he felt he walked out of hell he still knocked out the underboss. Damien turned around having a small grin on his face and saw that Luke and Marcello were staring at him, Luke ran up to him holding his arm out, but Damien saw a darkness cover his vision losing sit of his brothers, thats was until a bright light caught him. 

"This is familiar, isn't it Damien," 

Avalon caught him holding on to him with her right arm and had the case in the other, Luke went to them stunned, seeing Avalon appear next to him, glowing. A little bruised, she was better than Damien, She looked up at him, saying, 

"Liz told me to come here. She has the antidote already. All we need to do is go back to base," 

Luke got to them, taking Damien's other side, helping move them to the car, Avalon glanced at Taran,

"He knocked out the underboss," Avalon said 

"He did, and it was harsh. he probably has broken bones from the hits he took," Luke said 

They both placed Damien in the back with Marcello next to him with the first aid, Marcello glanced at Avalon, noticing something new with her. The glow she had around her didn't dim. Along with her sword on her side was flickering. 

"We should take Taran with us," Avalon let out

Luke turned to her look at her if she was nuts, He entered the driver's seat and told her, 

 "You know Damien needs to see Liz," 

"I know," 

Avalon got in the side seat, closing the door carfull of the broken glass. She glared at the underboss before glancing at Damien, seeing his face pale, and his breath was quick. Avalon pointed forword, 

"We have to go they will be quick to get here,"

Avalon had her hand on the case and Luke drived away from the scene leaving Tarans unconscious body, However, they heard a car engine behind them, Avalon looked behind them seeing that it was Chulain geting out of the car, he looked at them, his eyes glareing at the intencely and he went to Taran, Avalon was blocked from seeing him. Chulain check Taran, seeing that he had sustained such injures by them burn Chulain so fercely... 

"Chulain," 

He looked down at Taran and saw that he was smiling. Chulain felt uneased by Tarans smile, which was until Taran started to laugh. 

"I haven't had a fight like that since Morrigan,"