"Well, well, well," said Cisco with a heavy southern
accent. "It looks like our guest have finally arrived!"
"You were expecting us?" I asked.
"Why after Cyrus here tol' me 'bout yo lil run in, I
knew yousen come find me," he said. "Now what can I do fa ya?"
"Well I understand that you have some friends and a
serum, both of which Eli has an affinity for," I said.
"Wooo-hoooo! Listen ta da big words. You got some
mouth on you boy. Now I think you better shud it fo' you git hurt!" Cisco said.
"Well it seems that is your business, isn't it?
Hurting? What do you have here a little fighting match?" I asked. "Are you
laying odds? You know, bets?"
"Well damn! You got some balls on ya ta walk inta
anudder man's house and bet 'em," he said.
"I'm just looking for an opportunity," I said.
"What kinda opportunity?" he asked.
"Well, if you were a betting man, and you had faith in
your fighters, I'd challenge you to a four on four fight in your arena here," I
said.
"Agin you fo'?" he asked.
"Yes. And if we win, we get the girls and the serum,"
I said.
"What do I git iffen I win?" he asked.
"Why, you get me," I said.
"What is dat s'posed ta mean?" he asked. "I ain't no
fancy pants fruit booty!"
"Well, it means that everything in that vial is based
on my research and work. It means that Eli is alive today because of my
abilities and the treatment that I administered. It means that a cure WILL NOT
happen without me," I said.
"You a doctor, den?" he asked.
"I am," I responded.
"Den why are ya fightin?" he asked.
"Because I have no other choice. Will you give me what
I ask for if I just ask?" I said. "Now do we have a deal, or do you not have
any faith in your bitches…I mean fighters?"
"I tell you what, if you lose, I'll keep you and kill
the rest," he said.
"The only way I lose, is if you kill me," I said.
"I like the cut of yo jib, boy," he said. "You got a
deal!"
"Okay look, this is not like when we train or spar.
This is for real and for keeps," I whispered to Joshua, JoJo and Tank. "JoJo,
there are no rules here. No points, either. You cheat, you gouge, and you throw
dirt if you have to in order to win. Joshua, cut loose and Tank…SMASH!"
I removed my jacket and limbered up; readying myself
for an adversary I had no time to size up. I was also nervous having these
three kids fight in a life and death situation. But now-a-days, every day is a
life or death situation. I just hope T, Leon, Andre and Gerald got all of that
on the comm.
We walked towards the center of the park where the
grass had receded and there was nothing but dirt. JoJo looked nervous, Joshua
looked excited and Tank looked bored. I had the three of them kneel as I said a
prayer of protection.
"Are weapons allowed in this fight?" I asked.
"Yeah, handheld weapons like bats and knives," said
Cisco. "But no guns, cause that's cheatin'!"
Joshua was good with his staff. I opened my bag and
pulled out a pair of nunchaku and handed them to JoJo.
"Do you know how to use these?" I asked. He nodded as
he took them. He held them so tight his knuckles were white. I looked at Tank
as he slammed his taped fist into his massive palms.
"Yeah, you're good," I said to Tank.
Four guys approached the dirt area in the park. One of
them was huge, but not as big as Tank. The other three looked like they were
moderate in size, but capable fighters. We circled each other as they grinned
and made light of the doctor and his misfits. We stood ready and then JoJo
yelled something to Tank.
"Tank! They are bad men and they want to hurt me and
our new friends!" JoJo yelled.
It was amazing. Tank had a physical manifestation as
he changed from his docile hulking mode to that of a savage. He charged the
four men as two scattered. The larger of the two was caught flat-footed as Tank
ran right through him like a linebacker through a kicker. There was a sickening
thud as his head poured out viscous fluid and grey matter as it bounced off a
rock in the dirt.
As the other three reacted to Tank, Joshua leapt into
action and struck one on the side of the head with his staff. The sheer force
caused his neck to snap and he was down for the count. The other two began to
retreat as Cisco stepped in front of them.
"Well it looks like dese fellas don't wanna fight!" he
shouted. "Y'all know da drill!"
A box truck backed up to the dirt area. The two
fighters ran up to it and pulled up the door as half a dozen DCs stumbled out
towards us. Tank had recovered and ran head long right into their midst
punching and shoving.
"Okay fellas, we can't let Tank have all of the fun!"
I shouted to Joshua and JoJo.
They took off cracking the heads of each DC that got
close enough. I stood there like a proud father. Then I heard it, that
sickening gurgling sound that they make. The guy who had his neck broken by
Joshua had reanimated. In one swift motion I unsheathed my sword, cleaved off
the left side of his temporal lobe, shook off the blood and reseated my sword
in its sheath.
I ran towards the last two DCs as they stumbled past
Joshua and JoJo, and jumped with my knees forward as I landed on their
respective faces to a thud as they caved under my weight and the force of the
contact. I looked up at the two remaining men by the truck.
"You boys let me handle these two!" I said. I tossed
my sword to Joshua. "Hold on to that for me son."
"Ooow, this is going to be good," said Joshua as he
addressed JoJo. "You're in for a treat."
I stretched and flexed as I approached them. The first
guy wildly telegraphed a haymaker punch. I let him land it as I recovered from
the blow and looked him square in the eye.
"Really? That's what I'm up against? Are you ready to
die?" I asked calmly.
Again, he swung wildly as I stepped back, and he
missed. He followed that up with a front kick, which I side-stepped and kneeled
as I caught his leg on my shoulder. I stood quickly as I gripped his ankle
while still on my shoulder. The sight of a man approximately 5'8" with his foot
on the shoulder of a man 6'1" as he stood tall was almost humorous.
The second guy ran towards me from behind as he swung
a bat. I pivoted inwards so that the only thing he made contact with was the
now stretched groin of the other assailant. The first man fell to the ground
unconscious from the blow. The second man took a second swing, but the bat met
the bottom of my foot has I forced it to the ground.
The man grabbed me at the waist as he rushed me, and
his nose met my knee as blood splattered over the field as the cartilage from
his nose penetrated his cerebral cortex.
"Cisco all of your fighters are down, with one
remaining alive," I said. "Do we call this a victory, or do I have to kill him
too?"
"You ain't won shit!" he said with a snide look on his
face. "You think Imma let chu jus waltz in here and take what's mine?"
"We had a deal," I said.
"Fuck dat deal," he said, as his men chambered rounds
in their weapons.
"And here I thought we were civilized men," I said as
I picked a piece of brain from by knee pads.
"Youse fucks are mine. I'll never lose anudder fight,"
he said as he grinned.
"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree, "I said.
"I have all da guns, you chop sockey mudder fucka!" he
shouted.
Suddenly approximately three dozen armed men poured
out into the field led by Cyrus.
"Watch out Cisco!" shouted Cyrus. "I'm certain that
prick has snipers setup somewhere!"
As if it were on cue, bullets began striking the
ground to deter the armed men's advancement.
"Joshua, JoJo, Tank, find cover!" I yelled. Cisco and
Cyrus jumped behind a bench as the rounds struck the wood.
"So that I understand this, you're welching on our
agreement, Cisco?!" I yelled.
"Fuck you and dem kids," shouted Cisco.
"Dark Lightning to Doc, the packages are secure," said
Leon on the comm.
"Let's be reasonable men here, Cisco!" I shouted. "That
vial is worthless to you without me! If you give it to me, I promise on my
honor that I'll share whatever becomes of it with you!"
"You thenk I jus done fell offen the turnip truck last
night boy?" Cisco yelled. "The only way you git dis hear vial is outta ma cold
dead hands!"
"Be careful boss, he'll kill you!" said Cyrus.
"Shut da fuck up Cyrus! Dis here is yo fault!" He
yelled! "You led him to my door stoop!"
"Boss I would never—" began Cyrus.
But Cyrus Solomon Gold would never finish that
sentence, as Cisco plunged a knife into his heart.
"Now let's see iffen dis shit werks," said Cisco. He
uncorked the vial and poured a little into Cyrus mouth just as he was going
through his final death throws.
Again, a shot rang out as Gerald's scope found Cisco's
left lung. He lurched forward as the vial flew from his hand splashing some of
the solution on his face. I lunged forward to grab it as some of it got in my
eyes and mouth. The last thing I remember was the shots increasing as the APC
crashed through their gate and a searing pain in my chest as I fell to the
ground. Then there was nothingness. Just a black void. Eternity. Is this death?