Firehouse Showdown
Zhu-Rong sat atop one of the engines. The city patrol had done a good job cleaning up the carnage that was left from a few days before. All that was left now was a few blood stains on the concrete floor. This was the perfect setting for his plan. With the area being sealed off as a crime scene he would not have to worry about bystanders seeing this night’s business. He looked at his chronograph.
“23:54, he’d better not be late.”
He was pondering the ways to punish him for each minute of tardiness when Moe stepped through the door. Zhu-Rong stood up clapping.
“Well done, I knew you were too noble to let others suffer for you.”
“Enough have suffered for me already. Tonight I will get my just due, just as you will some day.”
“Ah yes, I see you still believe in Karma. Not a very becoming trait for a former assassin. You used to be so cold and heartless. So evil, I myself was enthralled by you in my younger days. I can remember hearing of your exploits when I was in the academy. The horror you used to be. No one not even Ergos Prime would stand in your way. Any yet you threw it all away. Before you die please tell me why.”
“A monster like you could never understand my reasons. They are motivated by emotions you do not possess and by ideals that you could not understand.”
“Spare me the rhetoric” Zhu-Rong said drawing his sidearm. I was merely giving you till midnight as promised.”
As he said this he could hear a bell tolling in the distance.
“Well time is up for you I guess.”
Zhu-Rong dropped the clip out of one of the eagles and chambered a single bullet. He drew his other sidearm and tossed the one with the single bullet at Moe’s feet.
“Well there you go. You can try to use that shot on me, but I would not. Even if you should succeed you would seal the fate of this entire city. So here is how it is going to read in tomorrow’s paper. “Former fireman distraught over killing his comrades returns to station house and commits suicide.” Rather catchy don’t you think?”
“You did not have to kill them. I would have surrendered to save them.”
“Oh I know you would have. And as much as I would love to let you die thinking I killed them all, I did not.”
“What?” Moe looked suddenly confused. “If not you then who?”
“I know not nor do I care. I would commend who ever did this though it looked like good work. Now enough banter. Just do it so I can go on vacation.”
Moe crouched down and picked up the pistol. He pulled the hammer back and sighed.
“You know you are pretty good Zhu-Rong but you did make one mistake.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
“You assumed I would be alone”
Zhu-Rong “felt” it before he heard it. The low hum he recognized as a vibroblade powering up.
“Hello Zhu-Rong.” Ellifaine said leveling the vibroblade between his shoulder blades. “Been a long time”
“I thought you were dead”
“The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.”
Zhu-Rong smiled
“I told you to come alone Moe. Now you will have more blood on your hands.”
As he finished speaking Zhu-Rong dropped into a crouching position bending his left knee and spinning around with his right leg out straight to his side. He continued to spin, as the thrust of the vibroblade passed harmlessly above him, bringing his outstretched leg around in a sweeping motion that knocked Ellifane from her feet. He then flexed the muscles in his left leg and using the momentum of the spin sprung into the air sideways spinning like a corkscrew. The move had worked because as he spun he heard the zip of a bullet passing below him, no doubt the expected shot from Moe. He completed his spin and landed on one knee beside the now prone Ellifaine with the Desert Eagle pointed at her head.
“No Moe, I had suspected you might try something. However Ellifane was a nice touch. But since she is supposed to be dead, why don’t we correct that right now.”
Zhu-Rong squeezed the trigger on the pistol, firing a shot into the elves head. He stood confused though. Ellifane just smiled back at him. He heard the action of a shotgun behind him.
“Drop the piece.” He heard the real Ellifaine say as the hologram faded into static and then completely out in front of him. “Did you really think I would bring a sword to a gunfight?”
Zhu-Rong stood and dropped his pistol as Moe walked up to him. Moe smiled and punched him square in the jaw sending him flying back several feet. Moe ran after him and scooped him off the ground by the throat with one hand. He brought his other hand holding Ellifaine’s vibroblade around to Zhu-Rong’s groin. Moe looked dead into his eyes.
“We need to talk.”
“23:54, he’d better not be late.”
He was pondering the ways to punish him for each minute of tardiness when Moe stepped through the door. Zhu-Rong stood up clapping.
“Well done, I knew you were too noble to let others suffer for you.”
“Enough have suffered for me already. Tonight I will get my just due, just as you will some day.”
“Ah yes, I see you still believe in Karma. Not a very becoming trait for a former assassin. You used to be so cold and heartless. So evil, I myself was enthralled by you in my younger days. I can remember hearing of your exploits when I was in the academy. The horror you used to be. No one not even Ergos Prime would stand in your way. Any yet you threw it all away. Before you die please tell me why.”
“A monster like you could never understand my reasons. They are motivated by emotions you do not possess and by ideals that you could not understand.”
“Spare me the rhetoric” Zhu-Rong said drawing his sidearm. I was merely giving you till midnight as promised.”
As he said this he could hear a bell tolling in the distance.
“Well time is up for you I guess.”
Zhu-Rong dropped the clip out of one of the eagles and chambered a single bullet. He drew his other sidearm and tossed the one with the single bullet at Moe’s feet.
“Well there you go. You can try to use that shot on me, but I would not. Even if you should succeed you would seal the fate of this entire city. So here is how it is going to read in tomorrow’s paper. “Former fireman distraught over killing his comrades returns to station house and commits suicide.” Rather catchy don’t you think?”
“You did not have to kill them. I would have surrendered to save them.”
“Oh I know you would have. And as much as I would love to let you die thinking I killed them all, I did not.”
“What?” Moe looked suddenly confused. “If not you then who?”
“I know not nor do I care. I would commend who ever did this though it looked like good work. Now enough banter. Just do it so I can go on vacation.”
Moe crouched down and picked up the pistol. He pulled the hammer back and sighed.
“You know you are pretty good Zhu-Rong but you did make one mistake.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
“You assumed I would be alone”
Zhu-Rong “felt” it before he heard it. The low hum he recognized as a vibroblade powering up.
“Hello Zhu-Rong.” Ellifaine said leveling the vibroblade between his shoulder blades. “Been a long time”
“I thought you were dead”
“The reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.”
Zhu-Rong smiled
“I told you to come alone Moe. Now you will have more blood on your hands.”
As he finished speaking Zhu-Rong dropped into a crouching position bending his left knee and spinning around with his right leg out straight to his side. He continued to spin, as the thrust of the vibroblade passed harmlessly above him, bringing his outstretched leg around in a sweeping motion that knocked Ellifane from her feet. He then flexed the muscles in his left leg and using the momentum of the spin sprung into the air sideways spinning like a corkscrew. The move had worked because as he spun he heard the zip of a bullet passing below him, no doubt the expected shot from Moe. He completed his spin and landed on one knee beside the now prone Ellifaine with the Desert Eagle pointed at her head.
“No Moe, I had suspected you might try something. However Ellifane was a nice touch. But since she is supposed to be dead, why don’t we correct that right now.”
Zhu-Rong squeezed the trigger on the pistol, firing a shot into the elves head. He stood confused though. Ellifane just smiled back at him. He heard the action of a shotgun behind him.
“Drop the piece.” He heard the real Ellifaine say as the hologram faded into static and then completely out in front of him. “Did you really think I would bring a sword to a gunfight?”
Zhu-Rong stood and dropped his pistol as Moe walked up to him. Moe smiled and punched him square in the jaw sending him flying back several feet. Moe ran after him and scooped him off the ground by the throat with one hand. He brought his other hand holding Ellifaine’s vibroblade around to Zhu-Rong’s groin. Moe looked dead into his eyes.
“We need to talk.”
posted by D | 19:00
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