Claude was sitting in the park and admiring the beautiful winter scenery. snow was still falling, and kids were out doing ice skating on the frozen lake and river, having some exercise. for Wernicke's personal hitman, he was sitting on there to await an arrival for someone he had just met before recently. Suddenly, he got a sudden phone call from his boss and manager. "hello?" he answered his cell.
"Ah Claude, just the man i wanted to have a conversation with." said Wernicke on the other line. "any sign of Bones yet?"
the hitman groaned before replying: "not just yet. I still haven't seen him."
"hmmmm... well, I am certain that he will come. he has been known to show up to his clients late a few times in his line of work. patience, Claude. Patience."
"very well, boss," Claude sighed. He did like waiting for extended periods of time, but Wernicke was his boss, and whatever Wernicke says goes. at last, a tough man in a winter coat came by, and he looked very confident in himself. "Ah. speak of the devil." Claude noticed him.
"Ah, there you guys are." said the Bounty Hunter, "right where i think you would be at." then he sat down on the bench.
Claude didn't look very amused by his slouching behavior, and he said: "You're late, Bones."
"fashionably late." Bones corrected him. "i think I know what this is about."
"Indeed," said Wernicke on the tablet. "did you capture Luna Frost yet?"
"nah, she had friends with her, and that mechanical Soviet guy did a little bit of a number on me." Bones then showed him the bruises to his client to show his point. "look at these."
"well, those are quite the bruises on you." Wernicke admitted. "did anything happen at least?"
"oh yeah, it wasn't a total lost." Bones admitted. "i managed to cripple one of her friends. Oh, and the fire boy and electric girl were really easy to take care of. it's the crippled Eastern European guy that put up a fight..
"oh, you crippled Lincoln, did you?" Wernicke recognized. "that is Luna's brother."
"Ah. thanks for the heads up." Bones complimented. "yeah, i managed to do the leg sweep technique so he wouldn't get in my way."
"hmm... well that is one less hero to worry about." Claude commented.
"yeah, but the kid said he was a fan of me, and i told him it was nothing personal. it was only business. kinda felt bad that i did that to a fan, but i did what i had to do."
"exactly." said Wernicke. "Lincoln, though he might not have powers like his sister, is kind of a capable lad."
"he did try, and he had guts for going against a big, strong man like me. i could have killed him, but he said he liked my show, and i decided to incapacitate him instead."
"still, you failed me." the former politician sounded disappointed. failure is not an option."
"indeed, and you call yourself the world's greatest mercenary." Claude taunted him.
Bones growled while showing his teeth, and he pulled out one of his swords on Claude, readying the blade to decapitate him in case he wanted to insult him again. I am the world's greatest bounty hunter, i was just caught off-guard. that's all."
Claude looked scared at the man, and for a good reason, too."
"anything else you wanna say about me before I roast your head on a wooden pike?"
"Now now, Bones." Wernicke calmly intervened. "no need to resort to such brutality or senseless violence. "i didn't say you failed me for the last time, didn't I? me and my friend here completely understand you were caught off-guard. all you have to do is come up with something smarter, that's all."
The hunter then put his sword away, and looked calm again. "yeah. i guess so." he admitted flatly. "as long as i get the money for killing Luna or capturing her."
"and you will as soon as you complete either objective." Wernicke promised him. "I am certain you will think of a good plan."
"of course i will, Wernicke. just give me a little time to think ahead of time."
"absolutely. but try not to fail me next time."
"can do."
"i can make a suggestion if you want." Claude said.
"go on..." Bones said with his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"why not have a partner in crime to help you deal away with Luna Frost and get her out of the picture?"
"Oh please." Bones scoffed, "I am a bounty hunter." he cleaned one of his guns with a rag. "i work alone. besides, I never even need help in catching or killing my targets. No sir. I am a lone wolf in my hunts for money."
"not even bodyguards?" asked Wernicke
"Nope. i can do it on my own. just watch me." he cracked his knuckles to prove his point, making the hitman have an uncomfortable look on his face.
"Oh, i hate it when tough men do that, calling it a cool thing to do."
"it is." said Bones. "it shows how tough i am."
"you know, if you're not careful, you can give yourself arthritis if you keep up that habit." Wernicke said.
"Bah, that is nothing but a myth. i have been doing this for a while and my hands never felt better. Now, if you excuse me, i need to catch and or kill Luna Frost again." he got off the bench and walked down the snowy ground, leaving Wernicke and Claude alone.
"I am uncertain if he will succeed this time." Claude admitted. "but who knows in due time?"
"I concur," said Wernicke. "and without him knowing, i might hire some bodyguards for him as literal hired help."
"can you actually get that?" his assistant asked him.
"of course. like i said, friends in high places, even though i am in this pen for life.0
