Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2013 19:44:24 GMT -5
Twisting with a violent swing Oaklan sought to finish his own battle once and for all. With an anticipation that came with years of experience Deroix’s let out a blazing kick, catching the rail on the flat of his foot. Then flicking with the other he launched himself airborne, clasping the rail with both hands he twisted attempting to wrench the weapon from the Shandian’s grasp. Of course this would, even now, prove difficult. So with an ultimate finality Double Step rifled off one last kick, connecting heavily with Oaklan’s face and sending the relative youngster skidding across the hard ground, finally tumbling into a sitting position.
“You told me that if I wasn’t willing to kill you, you’d kill me. Well-yo, you put up one hell of a fight but I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
With a flash of pace Deroix appeared above Oaklan, forcing a choking foot onto his neck. Pressing firmly he bent his knee and lent in to whisper something to his fallen opposition. Before he could the savage swordsmen convulsed violently attempting even now to drive his skull at any part of the now clearly victorious layabout. With a violent slam Deroix extended his leg and drove the ex-slave powerfully into the ground. The slam seemed effective and so patiently, he tried again.
“I haven’t killed anyone, not for a very long time.”
To most the statement would have been impressive, having been able to build such a reputation as a hunter and only bringing in targets alive. However, Oaklan was more confused than impressed. The fact that it took more skill to keep an enemy alive was also not something that occurred to the fallen swordsman.
As their battle came to an almost gentle end, the other was reaching its explosive finish. There was a quiet, almost liquid and somehow intrusive sound that sent something offensive through the minds of all able to hear it. It was the sound of steel piercing flesh, Beck had been skewered. Deroix’s features flickered into something that was neither a grin nor a grimace but something inbetween.
“So he gets serious at last. This is over yo, a valiant attempt but Sendo isn’t the kind to let this sort of thing go... unpunished. You best crawl away if y--”
Lifting his head the reddish eyes of the white haired warrior came to rest upon his impaled partner. Though they looked at the same event, Deroix and Oaklan did not see the same thing.
“Beck ain’t the kind of guy to let a puny blade like that stop him, Sendo should’a kept his distance.”
Locking his opponent firmly in place, Sendo’s struggling proved futile against the vicelike lock of the drunken devastator. This was the first time Oaklan had really seen Beck use his hands and they proved stronger than he imagined, with a crushing strength he lifted the overconfident killer into the air and launching upwards into a final assault finished the battle by slamming Sendo into the cold concrete below. The shattering impact exploded outward throughout the warehouse, dust circling out from the impact as shockwaves rippled through the floor.
“No way...” Deroix gasped, almost a whisper his voice caught in sheer shock as he watched his partner dethroned by an intoxicated upstart.
Taking advantage of the moment and driven on by his own partners victory the fire in Oaklan’s eyes seemed to relight, forcing himself out from under Deroix’s foot he powered upwards with a powerful uppercut. The blow missed as the wave of dust engulfed them. From within the confusion the voice of an unnervingly close Deroix spoke into his ear.
“Thanks Oaklan, thanks for waking me up yo.”
When the dust had settled the scene that remained was one that only the swordsman was not shocked to see. Thoroughly beaten Sendo lay discarded on the hard floor. Even Lockhart was silenced by the event, the arrogant assurance gone from his eyes along with any trace of hope. The weapon manufacturing moguls other bodyguard had vanished without trace, leaving his old boss to his fate. A murmur of disbelief rippled through the observing townsfolk as they digested the event. It was superseded by a silence; an air of anxious uncertainly fell over the more pragmatically minded Stetsons. The question on all their minds went for now unasked, what would they do for money? A lone clap broke through the shellshocked stillness, Rango was the first to begin to cheer but he was not alone. Those who had been prepared to dispatch Lockhart had grins across their faces, the victory had not come as they’d expected but it had come nonetheless. Indeed even a few who had not been in on the scheme seemed pleased, the split was about even.
“I’ll be damned, you fella’s are somethin’ and that’s not saying it half. Y’see that everyone? That’s what it is truly, what we need to get back, our grit. Ol’ Wyatt didn’t plan for—Wyatt, I damn well forgot, where’s W--”
“Quit your belly aching, I’m fine” and so he was, hobbling along one arm around Chrissy who herself was limping, although it must be said was being leant on much more than doing the leaning. He seemed somewhat pleased to have his arm around the beautiful blonde, all things considered.
“You useless codger, you had me fearin’ the worst. I told ya’ I shoulda taken the shot, not only did you miss you almost had yourself killed. Stubborn goat.”
A look of embarrassment briefly flickered across the veteran’s face, but pride forced a composed response. “I didn’t miss, that hired muscle was no ordinary man but I didn’t know how unordinary he was. The plan would never have worked with those guys around. If it weren’t for these two I’d, well, I’m glad they were here. I would’a taken that air-shot bastard out myself if he hadn’t knocked my back out.”
“You would have what? Look at the state of you,” there was a notable tone of concern to Steph’s angered voice. “This has to be the most half baked, harebrained and h-orrendously stupid thing—wait, is this what you and Ted have been doing all this time? Cooking up explosives in his farming shop. Did you even stop to consider the repercussions...”
Crack
“Ow,” Wyatt yelped.
“of your actions!” Throwing her hands up exasperated Steph was happy that she had done for now what she could. “This back’s a mess you’re going to have to come around mine later, but given some rest, you should be fine. All this time and I never once believed those revolutionary rumours but now, this ain’t a battleground Wyatt, this is a town.”
“You were always so serious Steph, lighten up y’ just saw the battle of the year, ain’t anything like that gonna’ happen around here again anytime soon. That said, it ain’t me you should be checkin’ over.”
Reluctantly the young would-be Doctor turned to the two bounty hunters, Oaklan had now made his way over to Beck but had not yet thought of the right way to express that despite having lost his own battle he was still somehow still also victorious. She zoomed in on the drunkard first, for indeed his injuries were both more obvious and more serious. The crowning injury of course, was the stab wound that marked his shoulder. Leaning in to bandage it up, may she be allowed she did what she could briefly and without chatter, merely commenting “This’ll need cleaning and change bandages once a day, you don’t want this to become infected,” before moving on to give Oaklan a once over.
“You’re swollen and bruised, but long term, amazingly, there’ll be no damage.”
“I thought ya’ said you weren’t gonna’ help us out if we went after Lockhart,” the ex-slave recalled with a grin.
Slugging the Shandian once firmly in the gut, she concluded her job was done and went back to fuming about the events that had transpired. Staggering back Oaklan’s reddish brown eyes fell by chance on Lockhart, who had taken advantage of the post battle reaction and was attempting once more to slink away.
“So what’s happenin’ with him?” Normally he may have dealt with the situation himself, but he no longer had his sword and it’d take a long time to hack off a head with just a railing.