The plunger packed in powder, paper, and shot tightly as Jonah worked the lever of his Colt Navy. Wobbling in the saddle as he popped on the percussion caps, Jonah rode his horse down the dark streets towards the waterfront. His wool gray jacket kept the nipping cold off his skin as night had well settled into the city. The trek to the warehouse gave the bounty hunter time to reflect on the night. That gut feeling came back to him, the one that came when he was conversing with those Falcone goons. His gut was right, a night of dealing with the eccentric criminal element of Gotham was taxing the no-nonsense cowboy's patience. He almost missed beating up inebriated bikers and street punks. Hex wasn't sure yet whether he'd haul Two-Face back to the mob or the police, or if he felt like hauling him back at all. Jonah's funds were running low, and most bars wouldn't accept his Confederate money, but Hex was always drove by a sense of justice in his hunts, even back in his time. No time for him to make a decision on that subject. Two-Face's warehouse came into view, unfortunately, the mile high fence came into view too. Pulling a small bit from a pouch, Jonah stuffed in some new dip into his good lip as he looked the dock over. The fence was topped with curls of barbed wire and the one gate in was chained shut tight. Still perched on his steed, Jonah observed from a distance. Trying to scale the fence would leave him exposed, trying to shoot through the gate would draw too much attention from the guards that were surely swarming the grounds. Taking a swim in the sea in the middle of Gotham's seemingly endless winter didn't sound the least bit appealing. One of the stallion's horseshoe hit a hollow section of street, causing Jonah to look down at the echoing sound.
"Hmph, the sewers. Suppose it's better than nothing." he pulled the horse over to a nearby parking meter and tied up the reigns.
A splash several miles away alerted the slumbering creature to a new presence in his domain. Lumbering up from his nap, the monster started through the maze of pipes in search of the sound's originator. Though it was more animal than man, it wore a pair of ratty, torn blue jeans that were soaked in sewer water. His back of green scales were covered by a vest that matched the denim pants in material and condition. It wasn't long till a scent accompanied the sound of two feet wading through the water. It wasn't a familiar scent to the beast as there was an overpowering hint of musk.
Jonah Hex was trudging his way through the nasty water, holding up a Zippo lighter, one of the few 'new' technologies he carried, to provide some light. As his leather boots became waterlogged, he heard the sound of something approaching fast, and it sounded bigger than a sewer rat. He turned towards the pipe the sound of agitated water came from and waited with bated breath. Some enough an 8 foot monster stood at the other end of the pipe. His slick, green scales reflecting in the light of Hex's lighter. It's face was the shape of an alligator's with an exceptionally stubby snout. It stood up straight, puffing out it's massive chest, it's head brushing the sewer's ceiling. Then, surprising to the bounty hunter, it began to speak. It's voice was deep, raspy hiss.
"You smell old, human. You've got a different must to yo." it spoke in clear sentences with a hint of an accent. Jonah frowned at him.
"Ya look like a $100 handbag. Gonna cause me trouble, boy?" he accentuated his comeback with a spit of tobacco. The gator man hissed like a croc as he breathed a chuckle.
"I'll skin you & pick my teeth with yo' bones." the killer crocodile said that as his mouth salivated with hunger. Jonah took a moment to think to himself. He could pull his gun, but he had the sinking suspicion that the thick hide would stop any lead from penetrating the beast.
"Sound awful sure of yaself. I've wrassled gators down in the bayou meaner than you." he prodded Killer Croc as he took off his jacket and hung it over a sewer pipe, his hat and gun belt followed. Pulling the knife from it's sheath, Jonah stared down the hulking beast.
"I'll bled you out slow." came a low growl from the reptile. With a roar that threw his arms back and filled the whole sewer, Killer Croc lunged at Jonah. The cowboy ducked down, sliding in between Croc's legs. Still laying in the water, Hex jabbed his knife behind him. The blade cut into Killer Croc's calf. Seeing as Jonah Hex was used to fighting mortal men, not monsters and as such he wasn't expecting the powerful tail that smashed down on him with, what felt like, a half ton of force. His head barely floated above the rank water, his Zippo had fallen somewhere in the stew, only the faint light from the moon came in through the street grates. Croc wiped the blood from his leg as he turned to face Hex. The bounty hunter quickly rolled up to his boots when he saw two scaly fists barreling down on him. The heavy hands made a splash in the water. Hair dripping wet, Hex took the opening to launch himself onto Killer Croc's back. The reptile reared up, trying to throw Hex. The gunslinger didn't let go, sinking his Bowie knife deep in between the beast's neck and shoulder. He roared in pain as he charged backwards, crushing Hex on the brick stone walls. This loosened Hex's grip just long for Croc to throw his head forward, sending the old Confederate flying down the tunnel and back into the nasty water.
"Eh. Got some in mah mouth." Jonah ran his faded shirt sleeve over his exposed mouth. Croc stood up straight and used his massive paw to pull the little knife out of his shoulder. He tossed it behind him and threw himself at Jonah again, this time leading with his snout full of teeth. Jonah quickly dug in his heels and held his arms out in preparation. The timing was perfect, Hex caught Killer Croc's jaw with his bare hands. Those years of tussling with gators down in Okefenokee swamp proved invaluable. Only Jonah's natural strength was holding Croc back from chewing him in half. The superhuman strength of the mutated man tipped this game of might in his favor. Hex felt his muscles failing and had to think on his feet. Looking at one of Croc's beady yellow eyes, Jonah mustered some spit and send a tobacco projectile into it. The reptile instinctively pulled away and the bounty hunter used the distraction to let go of the mouth of deadly teeth and sidestepped out of the way. With all of his momentum still going forward, Croc's head smashed down into the stone floor under the flowing water. While the monster held his head dazed, Jonah searched for his long knife. Once he had it in hand it was Jonah's turn to take the offensive. Croc turned towards him, only to take a stab to the chest. He threw a strong arm at Hex, but the cowboy ducked under it. This time Hex expected the tail whip that came in. He hopped up to avoid it and sent his knife under Croc's armpit this time, cutting through the denim vest. Jonah took a dive roll to put some distance. He was now soaking wet in the foulest of smells and gasping for any air he could get in the dark underground sewer. Taking the knife by it's blade, Jonah lined up a throw. Killer Croc was clutching his side in pain as blood drizzled down his body, running in the canals between his scales. He roared at Hex like a furious animal, then sneered at Hex.
"Now I'm going to spread your mangled corpse 'cross all Gotham." his eyes narrowed, "let them old bones rot." Jonah was tired of being trash talked by a talking lizard. He gave his knife a throw, it landed just under Croc's throat. He threw a paw up quickly. He coughed and hissed until he tripped over his tail and fell flat onto the sewer floor. After a few moments to see if the reptile had some fight left in him, Jonah approached the downed crocodile and wretched his knife out of his hide.
"I'm gonna make ya into a pair of boots." Hex smarted off. The bounty hunter grabbed his gun belt off the pipe and buckled it back on. He wasn't sure if the Killer Croc was dead or just unconscious from the blood loss, and as Hex topped his wet mop of sandy hair with his hat, he didn't rightly care. He started down the dank break off tunnel that would put him under Two-Face's guarded warehouse.