Adventure! RPG: Heroes of Our Time - episode 4: Killer in the Rain (part 2)

[Rhiannon Lewis]

"Bastard... got... away," Rhiannon grunts, trying to drag herself a place where she can get herself standing.

[Blaine]

Blaine scans one more time to be sure he didn't miss anything. Then he waves Jozef to move over to the side and a bit out of the way. Then he holds up a hand and counts down from 3 with his fingers as he lowers himself down the wall until he's hunkering right by the floor. When he reaches 1, he slams a meaty fist into the door to jack it open, and then ducks behind cover again.

[Alex Craft]

(Maryland Casualty Auditorium)

Rhiannon does manage to get to her feet without too much difficulty - John giving her a hand until she gets her feet under herself. However, it would seem she spoke too soon, and John knew no better. Tony, somewhat distant across the roof, opens fire for no discernible reason, loosing three more rounds (seeming to aim for somewhere between him and John and Rhiannon).

Two of the bullets slap into the asphalt, burying themselves down in the black tar. The third ... doesn't - loosing itself somewhere along the way. John's quick eye catches a bit of blood struck out in midair, its source being ... the Monk, running through the rain (now falling a little more heavily) toward the flies. His intent is doubtless to skip over the bodyguards and head straight for the target.

[Dr. Mystery]

A snarl breaks on John's face as he dashes, as fast as he can towards the Monk, cane raised and ready to attack.

[Rhiannon Lewis]

Rhiannon attempts to step between Monk and King in an effort to halt or delay the assassin.

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson tenses as Blaine kicks the door open. His finger squeezes the tripper to within a barely perceptible distance from the firing release. Squinting into the darkness Jameson searches for a target.

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

Streaks of moisture trace the walls to Blaine's right and left as he begins to sidle his way down the hall under Jameson and Jozsef's watchful eyes. The chill draft gets stronger as he progresses, filling the hall with cool, frosty air. Jozsef follows, covering the ajar door as Blaine readies himself to open the way.

The side of Blaine's fist rings against painted steel as he thrusts the door open, ducking immediately back under cover. The heavily door swings slowly open with a quiet squeal from the hinges, and a full current of refrigerated air comes pouring out into the hall. Blaine's breath steams palely in the air as he peers into the gloom beyond.

Dirty grey light filters down from a narrow line of clerestory windows somewhere up above, dimly lighting the room. This is one of the meat lockers - a large room, probably about half the size of the main operating floor.

Frost covers every surface, from the masonry walls to the omnipresent coolant pipes to the metal shelves and lockers arrayed along the walls, all full of cold meat. Chains hang from the ceiling - chains bearing the weight of heavy, sharp meat hooks holding entire carcasses dangling just above the floor. There's a faint odor of blood in the air, with most of its intensity wrung out by the cold.

The clutter of metal lockers and hanging carcasses make it impossible to scan the entire room, but Blaine and Jozsef both notice a trail skirting through the obstacles. The frost has been disturbed, and probably pretty recently - someone leaving a trail of warm footprints across the iced-over floor.

[Alex Craft]

(Maryland Casualty Auditorium)

The Monk already has a lead on John and Rhiannon, and - being both devilishly fast and a bit more athletic than either of them - seems to be quickly outdistancing them.

Rhiannon pulls the knife from her side, dropping it on the asphalt as she runs. She isn't exactly sure of where the Monk is, actually. She catches blurred glimpses of him, but he seems to dance in and out of the rain like a ghost, never quite being clear enough to track.

John has considerable more luck, between his sharp eyes and his personal familiarity with the techniques of invisibility. The Monk isn't easy to track, but John does alright - making a beeline through the rain.

Still, the Monk has an increasing lead as he approaches the flies, though who knows what he intends upon reaching them. King will most likely be able to hold the top of the single ladder leading to the top of the flies, so the Monk will have to find other means of scaling the wall if he wishes to get at King.

King fires another shot, this one also seeming to hit the Monk (though the later doesn't appear to be slowed down by this impact or either of his previous wounds).

Rhiannon - knowing what gun King carries - realizes that that was King's last bullet. Since the Monk has not drawn a gun since arriving on the rooftop, it seems that the remainder of this fight will be up close and personal. Striving to ignore the pain in her side, she redoubles her speed, running painfully after John.

Reaching the flies ahead of John and far ahead of Rhiannon, the Monk makes a sudden leap - lauching himself at the wall below King like a coiled spring. His toe slams against the wall and flicks him upward, aided by his free hand catching and pulling at some tiny chink in the brick. From John's point of view, it looks like he practically levitates up the wall, his hand slapping against the wet stone rimming the top of the wall.

Quickly and smoothly, the Monk pulls himself upward, vaulting to the top of the wall like a master gymnast. He lands in a crouch on the edge of the wall very near to King and darts out - another of his blades flashing suddenly out of the gloom. Rhiannon finally catches sight of him, just as his knife seeks King's heart.

Abruptly, a flash of lightning sheets across the sky, illuminating the scene in harsh, actinic glare. The moment lingers as an afterimage after the lightning passes, and the next thing that John and Rhiannon clearly see is the Monk atop the flies - framed against the sky as King drops through the air to the rooftop below.

It looks as if the fall wasn't entirely controlled, since King hits the asphalt rather heavily - rolling with the impact and easily finding his feet. As Rhiannon and John catch up, he backs quickly away from the flies, keeping an eye on the Monk above.

It is raining more heavily now, and a clap of thunder rolls across the city - the resonance of the lightning just past. Suddenly, the top of the tallest building in the vicinity doesn't seem all that great a place for a fight, as another bolt of lightning forks down to strike somewhere off in the distance. As the thunder dies away, our heroes can pick out a strain of music filtering up through the flies - the somewhat grim chords seemingly suited to the moment.

[Blaine]

Blaine closes his jacket up a bit more against the chill as he enters the meat locker, trying to ignore the smell. The tracks are easy to follow, but Crazy 8 still had all the cover he needed to play a nasty game of hide and seek. He followed the trail, his head practically on a swivel as he scanned for any movement, any sound. Cornered rats were the most dangerous, and this rat had been cornered for awhile now, and probably didn't want to go back. He kept his Tommy Gun at the ready, hoping he'd get a chance to use it before one was used on him.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef slides up to the doorway, using it for cover and proceeds to do just that ... cover Blaine's advance.

[Rhiannon Lewis]

"Goddess damn that bastard to the deepest, blackest pit in the Puca's stomach," Rhiannon swears under her breath as she steps in front of King, ready to take any attack meant for her boss.

"Mister King and Doctor Mystery, could you please do me the favour of getting the hell out of here right about now? I'd like to try and buy you some time, because I'm as useless as a Cockney in a tearoom," she says to the two men behind her. "I was reborn in a storm. Going out in one won't be so bad for me."

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

Blaine and Jozsef disappear through a side door in the distant hall, moving fully out of Jameson's ability to effectively cover their backs. At Locky's worried urging, he and Janos painfully fall into the back seat, taking off a bit of strain from their rather delicate conditions.

Locky closes the doors behind them and slides into the driver's seat, hoping he still has the hang of this. It's only been a couple weeks since he learned how to drive in the first place, and that was something of a crash course (so to speak). Getting the car back into gear is an adventure all on its own, but he manages to get it backing up and (after a bit of manuevering) lined up with exit.

He feeds the gas a little in backing up, edging out of the building with sufficient clearance to avoid a mishap. The rattle of the torn garage door under his wheels is deafening - probably why he doesn't notice the other car until too late. A shiny, black sedan comes out of nowhere (or it might as well have, considering how much Locky can make out while only half backed out of the garage), driving perpendicularly across Locky's path just a couple of feet behind his rear fender.

Locky hits the break hard, reflexively avoiding a collision, and the other car screeches to a stop immediately behind the car - blocking any chance of driving out of the meat processing plant. The doors on the other side of the black sedan are opening before the car even really comes to a stop, and out pop a pair of familiar faces.

Dressed cleanly in black overcoats and business suits (charcoal grey and pale peach, respectively), the two men stop behind the sedan and bring up a pair of large, blocky pistols to cover Locky's vehicle. Jameson and Janos can't immediately tell what's going on, but they quickly figure it out as they crane their necks around and check out the back.

Luca and Cassidy are back, Luca circling around to Jameson's side of the car while Cassidy circles around to Janos' side. Most of the car is still closed up, but Luca points his gun through the back window (previously rolled down by Jozsef) and says, "Hey now, how about everybody sit still for a moment? Yeah?"

[Dr. Mystery]

"Pardon, Ms. Lewis, but I don't plan on letting either you or Mr. King perish today. If you don't mind much, my dear, it is time for us to show this Monk that Mr. King hired us with intent."

Placing himself between King and the Monk John snarls as he flings his flash pellets to either side of himself, cane at the ready.

"Face me."

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

Once inside the meat locker, sounds (the patter of rain, the distant motor of the car) fall away, blocked by the thick, insulating walls of the room. Despite this stillness, Blaine hears little beyond his own heavy tread. A brief, quiet sound does sound out (probably the scuff of a shoe on the ground), but - unable to pinpoint the origin - Blaine can only press on.

The scenery is all in the grays of masonry, metal, and frost and in the fleshy pinks of refrigerated beef. Nothing breaks the monotony, but there is plenty of room to hide among the heavy metal lockers and the forest of hanging carcasses. Jozsef is forced to leave the doorway and follow as Blaine leaves his immediate line of sight. He still keeps as much of a distance as he can in order to cover Blaine's back.

In the lead, Blaine follows the frozen tracks, keeping an eye on his surroundings as he goes. Along the center of the room are arrayed parallel rows of lockers, forming a series of aisles between them. The footprints run along the ends of these aisles for a short distance, lockers to the left and hung carcasses to the right. Soon enough, they take a turn, moving down an aisle toward the opposite side of the room.

Blaine checks around the corner carefully, then follows - edging down the aisle alert for any surprises at the other end. At the moment, he is hemmed in one two sides by banks of meat lockers, moving down an aisle about a meter wide.

All of a sudden, sounds echo out in an abrupt clatter as someone breaks into a short run somewhere fairly near. Neither Blaine nor Jozsef can pick the origin out of the echoes until a locker immediately next to Blaine resounds with a reverberating impact and begins to tip toward him.

Belatedly, it occurs to Blaine that Crazy 8 could have doubled back on his own tracks. Regardless, there isn't much time to think things through as the locker begins to tumble, chunks of beef spilling out as the doors fall open on the downward drop.

Blaine makes a dive for safety, sprawling forward on the floor as the locker slams into the floor behind him with a deafening crash. He rolls over, hauling his Thompson around to cover the gap left by the fallen locker, but he sees nobody there - hearing a few footsteps going by on the other side of the wall of lockers.

Jozsef wasn't quite to the aisle when the locker went over, and he runs the last couple of steps in time to see the locker hit the floor and catch a glimpse of movement through the resulting gap in the aisle wall - someone disappearing down the next aisle over after toppling the lockers between the two aisles.

[Alex Craft]

(Maryland Casualty Auditorium)

The answer to John's challenge is a knife, flung down from the flies by the Monk like a particularly deadly raindrop. John steps back, flicking his cane out and striking the blade aside to skitter harmlessly across the asphalt (though it comes to a rest not too far away).

Behind Rhiannon, King murmurs, "Indeed, my dear. I don't think there is any call for self sacrifice at this point. And just think how much trouble it would be to find someone to replace you."

He steps to Rhiannon's side and looks her over with a sidelong glance - a concerned look in his eye. He himself doesn't appear to be injured, with his clothes sodden and scuffed but untouched by a blade.

The Monk wastes no time in pressing the advantage, though - running straight for the top of the wall and leaping outward, toward our heroes. Starting some two stories above them, he actually clears the trio, flying over their heads and landing, cat-like, just behind King. Promptly kicking out, the Monk attempts to knock King's feet out from under him (but fails to even stagger the much larger man).

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef snaps his fingers to get Blaine's attention then makes a chopping motion to indicate the direction of the mystery figure's movements. He then brings his gun up to bear and targets the next aisle were he last saw movement.

Janos looks up at the gun in Jameson's face non-plussed.

"Your courage is exemplary, gentlemen," he adds dryly.

[Andrew Murphy]

Jameson rolls his eyes, "Blaine's still after Crazy 8, the man's either obsessed or has a death wish, I'm hoping its obsession.

"Regardless why don't you buys get in your car and sod off? My friend and I are having a terrible time with leaking bodily fluids and we'd very much appreciate it if we could get some professional medical help."

[Rhiannon Lewis]

Rhiannon dashes at the Monk, hoping to act as a distraction for the more able-bodied members of the team.

[Dr. Mystery]

Setting off flash pellets as he disappears from sight, John rolls to the side, circling around King and looking for an opening on the Monk.

[Blaine]

Blaine hops to his feet with a grunt. He shakes his head to clear the cobwebs and get a fix on his attacker's location. Hearing footsteps, and seeing the direction that Jozef is looking fires off a short burst in that direction.

Not sure of the results of his shots, he hurries down the direction he heard the footsteps, spitting a gobbet of blood out of his mouth as he does.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef hurriedly follows after Blaine and ponders the folly of youth.

[Alex Craft]

(Maryland Casualty Auditorium)

John disappears into a dazzling display of popping light, and - when the afterimages fade - he is nowhere to be seen, lost in shifting shadows cast by the glowing embers of his flares.

The Monk is caught off guard for a moment, glancing around in an attempt to work out where John might be coming from. King lashes out with a kick, and the Monk doesn't catch the movement in time to easily evade the strike. Quickly, but clumsily, he ducks - barely missing King's heel - and hurriedly steps away.

Still, he is recovering nicely right up until Rhiannon comes out of right field, crashing into him and bearing him to the ground with her weight. Wounded as she is, she can't hold on to him - instead weakly falling to the side as he tries to tuck and roll. The impact with the ground has stunned him a little, or maybe he broke something. Either way, he's moving a little more sluggishly now.

Getting a little clear of Rhiannon and King, the Monk tries to stand as King (starting to look rather infuriated) rapidly closes the distance. He is on one knee when he abruptly throws himself off to the side, very narrowly dodging a cane strike from John, who materialized just behind him.

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

In front of the plant, Luca steps up to the car door - staying professional, if not exactly cautious. Still training his pistol on Jameson, he replies:

"Nothin' personal, and I'm real sorry to be putting ta this kinda inconvenience. But see, we can't be having anyone leaving here until the fat lady sings, knowhattamean? You might get it in your heads to call the cops or something, and well, we want to keep this a family thing."

On Janos' side of the car, Cassidy is approaching the side, apparently going to open the door. Jameson is a little too focused on the pistol being waved in his face, but the others notice a second car parked across the street. Brand-new and shiny, it's difficult to get an exact make - foreign, and expensively out of place.

It looks like the Angel might have come to see how the show is going to end.

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

Jozsef turns to cover the mouth of the next aisle, but the sound of footsteps soon cues him that the enemy - it must be Crazy 8 - is running toward the other end of that aisle. He shuffles forward to get a line of sight, but his leg slows him down. By the time he gets a look down the aisle, Crazy 8 is already out of the aisle and out of sight.

Blaine hauls himself to his feet and send a few rounds spitting toward the newly made gap between the aisles before he too works out which direction Crazy 8 is moving. Blaine runs off to intercept - paralleling Crazy 8, who is running down the next aisle over. He contemplates trying to knock a locker or three over on Crazy 8 (return the favor), but he works out from the footfalls that Crazy 8 must be at least a few steps ahead.

The sound of Crazy 8's running changes, showing that he has moved out of the aisle - the footfalls changing in pitch in the more expansive space of the open room. Blaine is only a moments behind, stepping out into an inverted forest of hanging cattle.

The whispery song of a moving chain is only Blaine's warning, and he turns just in time to get hit full in the torso and face by the carcass of a cow - shouldered into him by Crazy 8, who is mostly hidden behind the carcass.

The impact staggers Blaine, and Crazy 8 slips from behind the dangling carcass to tackle Blaine himself, the two of them slipping and falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Blaine loses his Thompson (which clatters to the floor just out of reach), but he does momentarily gets the upper hand on Crazy 8 as they go for each others' throats - bearing down and hearing a couple of clearly audible snaps as two or three of Crazy 8's ribs give out.

In doing so, Blaine looks Crazy 8 in the eye for the first time since the trial a year and a half ago. It isn't pretty. His face, already twisted up in anger and pain, is made positively monstrous by the extensive scarring left by Blaine's last fight with him.

Though somewhat smaller than Blaine, Crazy 8 has a tough, wiry strength that probably comes close to matching Blaine's - though Blaine might have a slight advantage in this kind of close up fighting.

Limping down the aisle toward the fight, Jozsef brings up his Thompson, then is forced to realize that there is no way he can hit only Crazy 8 with the two of them locked together as they are. Taking the gun in his off hand, he pulls his trusty pistol and continues his approach, reflecting on the wisdom of picking the right tool for a given job.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef gets close enough to have a clear shot should either contestant break the hold, but not close enough to be grabbed, then waits for a moment.

"If you wint, Crazy Nut, or whomever you are, I will take great pleasure in killing you slowly for what you have done to my master. So, by all means, continue, as only Herr Blaine can stop me now."

Jozef fixes Crazy Eight with a sinister glare.

"I will start with your gut, go to your knees, then your writs, elbows ... have to reload, and then the real fun can begin."

Throughout the description, Jozef appears deadly serious and seriously ammoral.

"Please continue."

[Blaine]

Blaine almost can't help but grin, he knew 8-Ball hated him, but never thought he'd be crazy enough to throw hands with him, even if he was carrying a few slugs in him. The pain of his wounds was nothing compared to the grim satisfaction he was getting in finally locking up with this scumbag at last. After the initial dance, he swore he felt some ribs go on Crazy 8, but the son of a bitch kept going. He was taking a bit of a risk here, but he was going to end this.

He plants one blood stained foot on the frosty ground and then gets to both feet, centering his bulk. He scuffles and struggles a bit more, even biting a hand that tries to dig fingers into his eyes. He breaks one hand free and wraps it around 8-Ball's throat, cutting off his wind and bringing some panic into his hate filled eyes. That moment was all he needed and he was able to bring his other hand around his throat in an iron grip as well. He takes his feet and stands up finally, hauling up the other man, barely allowing his own feet to touch the ground.

"You got one chance...Sapetti..." he takes a shuddering step forward and turns Carlos's head to the side so he can see his objective, a bare meat hook dangling from the wall, it's brutal sharp blade gleaming in the bitter cold. "Give it up, or you can hang around for the butcher."

[Rhiannon Lewis]

Rhiannon drags herself to her feet, feeling the pain of her wounds, and picks up a chunk of brick, hurling it at the Monk as he dodges John.

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

Neither Blaine nor Crazy 8 seems to really be paying much attention to Jozsef, focused as they are on each other. Blaine adjusts his grip, cutting of Crazy 8's air - the fallen mob boss can indicate surrender with actions, not words. Crazy 8 responds clearly enough, forcing his forearms between Blaine's arms and shoving outward in an explosive burst of strength.

Coughing out, "Go to hell, bloodhound," he gasps for breath and surges forward, slamming into Blaine and - with a brief bear hug - dragging him off balance.

This time, he lets Blaine go and follows through, setting his heel in the back of Blaine's knee and bearing down hard. Blaine's leg goes out from under him, and he topples hard with Crazy 8 helping him along. His knee cracks against the floor with Crazy 8's weight still behind it (maybe breaking something, maybe not), followed quickly by the rest of his body - the concrete giving him a hard, icy kiss.

[1B damage to Blaine]

Jozsef is forced to realize that he isn't really trained for this kind of a fight - the Great War was all exchanges of fire and mad bayonet charges, leaving him unprepared for this kind of fast, close combat.

As soon as Crazy 8 is separated from Blaine, Jozsef reflexively snaps off a shot. With a burst of frenetic energy, the other man narrowly dodges - diving toward Jozsef to evade the shot, then charging across the remaining distance. Crazy 8's bull rush knocks Jozsef completely off his feet, lifting the old soldier up off the ground for a moment, then dropping him onto his back. Jozsef's skull raps against the floor and he sees nothing but stars for several seconds.

[4B damage to Jozsef; dazed]

Crazy 8 lets Blaine get to his feet, taking the moment to kick away Jozsef's guns and grab a dangling chain - gripping the meat hook like some medieval weapon and jerking on the chain to give himself plenty of slack. It looks like he's picked his position to keep an eye on Jozsef (staying within range for a swift kick), while still having a good amount of space to move around in.

He's always been a talker, adding, "Come and dance, ya old son of a bitch. Lesse if you still got it."

Blaine gets back to his feet, swaying for a moment, then clearing his head. Pain shoots up his leg - the knee's not broken, but it might slow him down a little bit. That, and the fact that his entire body is a mass of bruises, abrasions, and bullet wounds. It almost feels like the last time he and Crazy 8 did this thing.

Jozsef's guns aren't handy (Crazy 8 would've had to be pretty stupid for them to be otherwise), but Blaine's own Thompson is relatively near. It is, however, behind Blaine, so getting it would require either slowly backing up or turning his back on Crazy 8 for a moment - both being courses of action with inherent flaws.

[Blaine]

Blaine's knee creaks and groans in protest at the weight and strain, but it holds. He brings up his massive fists, clenching them in a rock crushing grip as he shuffles closer to 8-Ball. He closes in like a wary prize fighter. Eyes locked on Crazy 8 and occasionally the swinging chain.

"Oh, I got it you bastard. I got plenty." he mumbles, and then springs into action.

He takes a quick shuffle step forward, towards Crazy 8's right side, the side holding the chain, hoping to get inside where he can't use it. He snaps out a quick jab with his left, heading towards Crazy 8's head or shoulder maybe. With his right though comes the real threat, an uncorked body shot heading straight for his opponent's chest and abdomen.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef shakes his head to clear the cobwebs.

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

Crazy 8 glances over when Jozsef stirs (while Blaine is still at a safe distance), but seems to deem him irrelevant for the moment. Instead, he eyes Blaine as the detective approaches - a wicked gleam in his eye, like that of an animal backed into a corner. Still, hateful and desperate as he is, he knows exactly what he's doing - his stance that of a veteran brawler.

Maybe he's good at reading his opponents, or maybe he's just used to tricks (seeing that he's well known for dirty fighting), but Crazy 8 doesn't fall for Blaine's feint - instead, he simply takes a step back and waits for the followup, knowing that Blaine doesn't have the footing to make his left connect.

Blaine blows through with a heavy right hook, and Crazy 8 sees it coming. He is holding the steel shaft of the hook in his right hand and gripping the chain in his left, with plenty of slack in between. Not even attempting to evade, he whips up with the chain, drawing it taut between his hands and sweeping aside Blaine's arm - parrying with the chain as if with a rigid weapon.

Then, as Blaine attempts to withdraw back into a ready stance, Crazy 8 lets the chain between his fists go slack for a moment - looping the links around Blaine's forearm and drawing the length taut again, catching Blaine's wrist in the chain.

He jerks on the hook and chain, trying to haul Blaine off balance again, but Blaine grits his teeth and jerks back - failing to free himself, but keeping his feet under him. At the same time, Jozsef is shaking the gauze out of his head, and (with Crazy 8 too occupied to interfere) he rolls away from the fight and sluggishly gets to his feet.

As he does so, Crazy 8 shifts tactics, using the opening presented by Blaine's pinned arm to strike. Keeping the tension on his length of chain, he lashes out with his meat hook, burying the sharp tip in Blaine's right shoulder, digging it in, and leaving it there.

He dances back to the other end of the chain - still gripping the links in his left fist, holding the chain taut. Keeping Blaine's tangled wrist tied up in the chain forces Blaine's arm out at an indefensible angle, and Blaine finds that he can't yank back with - an attempt produces a weak twitch and a blinding burst of pain from his impaled shoulder.

Jozsef is to his feet, and he has recovered his faculties admirably. For the moment, he is armed only with his knuckles, though it wouldn't be difficult to pick up a gun - two Thompsons and his pistol are all fairly accessible, so long as Crazy 8 stays tied up with Blaine.

[Blaine]

Blaine is biting his lower lip to control the pain and stay conscious. 8-Ball got a lot better since the last time they tangoed, either that or he was a lot more hurt than he thought. He was in some trouble here. He wished his right arm was numb, instead it felt like it was full of molten steel, either way it was useless. He needed to end this now, otherwise he was going to bleed out in this meat locker.

He staggered and swayed on his feet, looking like he was going to teeter and fall in a second. 8-Ball senses an opening and yanks on the chain, eager to finish him off. Suddenly Blaine lurches forward, spinning into the chain so it wraps around his thick torso, he manages to spin twice before he's right up in Crazy 8's face, and whips out with a hellacious left, right into his jaw, the sound like a home run hit in the World Series.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef backs away and angles toward Blaine. He takes up a defensive posture and prepares to defend Blaine's right side.

[Dr. Mystery]

John lithely strikes out at the Monk again, grim faced and leering.

[Andrew Murphy]

"Luca right? Why don't you go and do something usefull? If your boss is so worried about Crazy 8 maybe you ought to go help Blaine out, yeh?"

With some effort Jameson raises his hand and pushes Luca's gun out of his face, "And stop pointing that thing in my face, it's rude, and I may just get it into my head to come after you when I'm feeling better ..."

[Alex Craft]

(Stadler Beef, Inc.)

As Crazy 8 dances away, Blaine barrels after him. His fist connects with Crazy 8's jaw like a freight train - the chain lashing at the air behind him. He feels his knuckles pop as his hand meets bone, but (his fists hardened by practice and technique) he doesn't break anything.

Crazy 8 doesn't fare so well. With a percussive crack, his jaw either breaks or dislocates (hard to tell at a glance), and his head snaps back dramatically. Stunned by the force of the blow, Crazy 8 staggers back unsteadily - barely keeping his feet.

Blaine helps him with that, ignoring his own pain, stepping forward, and kicking one of Crazy 8's legs out from under him. The gangster finally falls, not steady enough to effectively resist Blaine's followup. He hits the ground - taking most of the impact in his shoulder - and falls onto his back, laying stunned for a moment.

Jozsef recovers his pistol, and reflexively moves to cover Crazy 8 (staying well out of reach). Crazy 8 isn't unconscious, but he is badly enough hurt that Blaine and Jozsef can almost certainly keep him from getting up if he tried - that, and a single bullet could put him down pretty effectively.

[Alex Craft]

(Maryland Casualty Auditorium)

The Monk rolls, coming up into a crouch and unexpectedly leaping forward within the limits of John's reach. John's cane hisses as it sweeps through empty air behind and to the side of the Monk.

Up close and personal with John, the Monk meets John's forward rush and strikes upward, his flat palm slamming into underside of John's jaw. The blow isn't so much powerful as extremely well placed, simultaneously stunning and clotheslining John.

John's jaw (and, for a moment, a good portion of his body) goes numb, and he finds the rooftop spinning around him as his feet go out from under him and he drops - his back hitting the asphalt almost before he realizes he is falling. For a moment, there isn't much he can do but stare upward at the falling rain. He doesn't have his cane anymore (it must have fallen somewhere nearby).

[4B damage to John; dazed]

Rhiannon has just as little luck. Weak as she is, it is almost beyond her to hit a moving target, and her bit of brick (or, actually, a broken off collar from a pipe protruding from the asphalt) goes far afield from its target.

Protectively, King steps around between Rhiannon and the Monk, holding a defensive stance as he feints, then kicks, aiming a forceful blow toward the other man's knee. The Monk sidesteps narrowly, pulling his pistol from within his coat and firing, all as one motion. King steps back a stride, but doesn't move fast enough to effectively dodge.

He catches the bullet somewhere full in the chest, but doesn't appear to really feel it, instead circling back to again interpose himself between Rhiannon and the Monk, then darting forward - peppering the Monk with a few quick, light punches, most of which are evaded. However, the point was more to give John a chance to regain both his senses and his feet, which King is successful in doing.

While the Monk is thus occupied, John rolls out of reach (having the presence of mind to snatch his cane up as he does so), then gets his legs back under him. He is still somewhat concussed, having trouble with his balance and the focus of his eyes. King is circling the Monk again - briefly leaving Rhiannon exposed, but probably wanting to keep moving while the Monk is packing a weapon.

On the other hand ... maybe that's not all it is. He also seems to be drawing the Monk's attention, and he's circling away from John and Rhiannon - probably trying to put them on the Monk's back and/or flank.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Jozef takes careful aim then shoots Crazy-8 in the meat of this thigh, unless Blaine stops him. It is pretty clear that he would shoot Crazy-8 between the eyes if Blaine wasn't here.

[Blaine]

Blaine lets out a hefty sigh when he sees 8-Ball finally go down. He starts unwinding the chain around him, wincing as he has to raise his right arm to get it off completely. He jumps when a gun goes off and he raises the chain just in case he has to fight again, no matter how hurt and tired he is. When he sees the target and shooter though he relaxes.

"Hey, don't get all noble on my account. You want to plug him g'head. Save the tax payers some money." he says as he starts wrapping the chain around 8-Ball.

[Alex Craft]

The shot is placed well enough to not kill Crazy 8 outright, but it does more than prevent him from standing - the pain and subsequent blood loss quickly put him into unconsciousness. He is fading as Blaine begins to gift wrap him, and he is gone by the time Blaine finishes.