Alex grinned ear to ear as she slowly followed the streaks of blood through the hallway. The trail lead Alex and Ash back to the main floor of the strip club, where the crippled mobster crawled, face first, across the dance floor. The twins watched in amusement as the mobster smeared two red lines with his blown out knees as he dragged his body across the floor.
Alex walked around the bloody trails before matching the pitiful speed of the crawling mobster. She revved the saw, letting the crawling man know she was there. The mobster gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes, in focused frustration. He continued to reach up with his elbows and forearms to drag the rest of his body foreword, using his injured legs as little as possible and moving only a few inches at a time.
He seemed to be trying to shut out the rest of the world, motivated by the fantasy he could somehow crawl to safety. Alex almost felt a bit of admiration for the man's mindless optimism. Almost.
She stomped her heavy steel toed boot on the back of the mobster's blown out knee, grinding her heel painfully on the bullet wound. The mobster squealed in pain as his fingers clawed at the ground. Alex revved the saw before reaching the hungry spinning teeth down against the back of the mobster's thighs. The mobster screamed through gritted teeth, as the saw blades whirled through the flesh of his thigh, shearing through the bone, as the ravenous saw blades passed through his legs, one after the other.
The mobster never stopped trying to crawl away. Driven by adrenaline as his mind was swallowed by shock, he pulled his mutilated body from his severed limbs. The mobster crawled for awhile before finally resting his head down on the concrete floor, thankfully embracing the loss of consciousness and the awaiting oblivion.
Alex was on cloud nine as she stepped away from the legless mobster. She watched as the severed arteries pumped the precious lifeblood from the mobster's stumps, pooling a great red puddle between the man and his appendages. Ash's arm reached foreword and gripped her shoulder pad, halting her dead in her tracks as her foot stepped in the red pool running against her feet. He stepped to her side and pointed with his pistol at the hallway that lead to an unexplored area of the club, and to the open curtains where they had first emerged. A quick scan of the area in front of her told Alex everything. There was another player in the game.
Spatters of blood stained the curtain, bunched to the far side of the archway, and large chunks of the wall were damaged and littered with holes. That wasnt there earlier, this shootout was recent, so recent they must have just missed it. Alex could vaguely remember hearing gunshots and yelling while she and her dear brother picked apart the mobster's cowering in the back rooms. She had thought nothing about it at the time because she was busy losing herself in all the carnage and wondrous screaming. Thankfully, Ash, always the level head, had remembered for his blood thirsty sister.
They crept towards the hallway unexplored hallway, looking left and right so as to always have a pair of eyes in one direction at a time. Alex smiled to herself, as she turned towards the bullet ravaged body slumped against the wall. Behind her, her brother turned away from the blood spattered wall towards the exit and met her gaze. She grinned with her eyes at him, and her brother nodded. They could feel a familiar savagery from the scene. Pent up rage was left like a calling card on the bloody body slumped against the wall. They both knew, that Mark had freed himself, and gotten in on the fun.
Alex smirked as she continued to stare at the pile of meat and bullet holes that had once been a human being. While his sister was distracted, Ash checked the doorway on their right. He narrowed his eyes under his mask as he scanned the room. He touched her shoulder pad and pointed into the room. Alex turned from the perforated body and glanced into the room.
Under a pile of wood bits and metal rods, a mobster with a big puncture wound for an eye laid, mouth open, against the wall of what looked to be some kind of torture chamber. Alex shot her brother a playful look, before pressing on, stepping around the sprawled out legs of the bullet riddled corpse in the hallway.
Alex's heart sank into the pit of her stomach as she looked at the sign above the door at the other end of the hallway. Emergency Exit. Though they still had one more room to check, any remaining victims who managed to escape Mark's wrath had most likely slipped out the fire escape. The rampage was coming to an end.
Alex took a spot to the right of the door, to the last unexplored room of the club. Ash stepped towards the door and reached out with his free hand and tried to turn the door latch. The latch rattled in Ash's hand, refusing to turn. Alex's eyes widened as hope blossomed in her chest. If somebody locked the door, there was a good chance that the said person was still inside!
Ash stepped out of the way, letting Alex take over. She revved the saw twice fast, before holding down on the throttle. She brought the whirring saw blades up against the frame, sawing into it as she pushed it through the top of the door. After a few moments of resistance from the door frame, the whirring saw chewed down through the door, as Alex brought the saw straight down. She carved a straight line down through the door, cutting the door latch from the rest of the door, getting down into a kneeling position to saw all the way down into the ground. Sparks flew from the saw as the saw teeth dug into the concrete floor, before Alex pulled it from the door.
Alex gave the door a heavy kick. The bulk of the door swung open, no longer attached to the thin strip of the door that remained attached to door lock mechanism. Alex burst through open door, revving the saw and stepping to the side, letting her brother get a clear view of the room as he filed in after. It was empty.
Alex looked around in frustration, as her finger eased up from the throttle. The room was a simple office, with a large window behind a large walnut colored desk that faced them. Alex took a step foreword, swiveling her head slowly from side to side. The room was sparsely decorated, with the notable exception of a wall rack, with three Japanese samurai swords. Alex took another step towards the large wooden desk…
# # #
Roman stood silently behind the carved open door. If he had any doubt to the what the horrible revving sounds were, there was none now. He imagined a lesser man would have wet himself, as the whirling saw blades carved their way through the door, or let out a yelp when the door flew back into his face… but he was no lesser man. He had refused to let his primal fears overwhelm him when he chose to stay behind.
His initial response had been to flee. He could have easily slipped into the night and let the blood drunk lunatics sate themselves on his men. It was the practical thing to do… but Roman knew in his heart, he couldnt bring himself to do it. Deep down, he knew that this was a fight he had been running from for far to long. The only reason he still drew breath, while so many in the organization fell… was blind, dumb luck. Roman survived, not because he evaded them, but because Roman simply wasnt present when a programmed killer emerged through the door.
It was a heavy burden for Roman to bear. He had always put on a grim face and pushed his fears down inside, only for them to rise to the surface as 50 Blessings returned to finish what they had started. There was no more running, not for Roman. Rationality be damned. His mind was set in stone, to lay in wait for 50 Blessings, and finally confront the demons of chaos.
Live or die. Conqueror or conquered. He would not live in a world which he could not control. If he must die, he would do so here and now, on his terms. "Victory or death."
So when the door swung towards his face, he stopped it with his shoe. He quickly held the door still with his hand, keeping the door from simply bouncing back and revealing himself. Roman was careful as he slipped his hand back out of view of the maniac who burst through the doorway. The explosive roar of the saw shook Roman's very being and sent involuntary trembles down his legs. Roman strained his ears, and kept his breathing to a minimum as a pair of lighter, meticulous footsteps filled his ears, stepping through the doorway with speed and grace. The heavier steps of the saw wielding psycho, paced around, undoubtedly, searching for Roman.
Roman slowly moved his head from behind the carved door. His would-be executioner was even more twisted then he had imagined. The masked psycho wore a white bird mask that stood out against the painted green athletic pads and the neon green shirt under that. In the psycho's hands was a blood stained chainsaw. The saw wielder was spattered head to toe with his men's blood, and left red prints on the floor.
The chainsaw wielder finished examining the office, and took a cautious step towards Roman's desk. Roman's heartbeat accelerated. While the low sputtering of the saw was the only noises he could detect, it was the soft footsteps he didn't hear that worried him. Roman didn't dare poke his head any further from the doorway, but with his limited glimpse of the office he couldn't see the second agent. The lack of control over the situation made his skin crawl.
Roman gripped the Walther pistol in his hand. Even though he could see the chainsaw wielder from his hiding spot, the door shielded his arm as well as his body from the masked psychos. He would have to either swing the door open before bringing the gun up or switch hands to aim around the door. He wasnt as good of a shot with his left as he was his right but would have to adapt and overcome.
Roman slowly moved the gun in front of his face as placed it in his left hand. Though his quickened heartbeat thudded in his chest, he managed to switch hands without making much sound. Now nothing was stopping Roman from bringing his pistol down and around the door to shoot the chain saw wielder. The real challenge would be to react quick enough to locate and get a bead on the second 50 Blessing member. Roman didn't like to do things blind and ill prepared but he had no choice. He steeled himself, his brow twisting into a cruel scowl as his body tensed with determination.
The door slammed back against Roman, knocking the wind from his lungs. He quickly reoriented himself just as bullet punched through the door in front of him, missing his head by mere centimeters. He slammed his body foreword against the door, swinging it open and knocking it back against the gun wielding agent on the other side.
Roman's eyes caught a glimpse of the agent's pistol scatter across the ground, before catching his first glimpse of the silent agent in front of him. The masked psycho was a near identical copy of his chainsaw wielding partner, wearing the same outfit and mask. The only noticeable distinction was the dark purple number 2, drawn over the masks forehead.
The agent threw his body against Roman with explosive force. Before he could level his pistol, the smaller man's hands clamped against his wrist, keeping the barrel pointed away from them. The agent's other hand shot out against Roman's throat, squeezing and clawing like a feral animal.
Roman broke the agent's strangle hold with a simple judo technique, twisting his arm around the agent's and trapping it. Roman wrenched the man's elbow, using the pain to distract him as he pulled his gun arm free. He shoved the barrel under the mask of the agent. Roman would have pulled the trigger right then and there, if it weren't for the thunderous roar of the chainsaw in his left ear.
Roman pivoted his feet and twisted himself, and the masked agent around towards the chainsaw wielder, hoping to slow the psycho by adding an extra barrier between him and the spinning fangs of the saw. Roman's eyes squinted, and his lips snarled against his gritted teeth, as he saw the blurring blades of the saw, swing towards his neck and cheek. Roman knew his gamble was a mistake, that he was soon to have his head carved from his body in a spectacular display.
Of course the 50 Blessing agent wouldn't care if he had to tear through his partner to get to him. It was foolish, even in the heat of the moment to think otherwise. As the spinning blades came dangerously close to carving through him and his hostages necks, he tried to take some small comfort, that he managed to take one of them with him.
The blades stopped spinning, the roaring engine slowed to a sputtering growl and the killing strike never came. The chainsaw wielder only hovered the saw near his neck. Roman was taken back, not only from the fact that he was still alive, but from the wild, confusing passions seeping from the cool blue eyes of the chainsaw wielder.
Roman regained his composure, hardening his features into a controlled mask. He glared back at the psycho with haughty eyes. The masked psycho didnt respond, it simply stood there unsure what to do. Roman took the time to study his new opponent. Roman noticed the masked killer had a dark purple number 1 drawn on its forehead. Behind the blood splattered mask, the psycho's eyes were a well of emotions, watery and wild as they flicked around his face. Roman could hardly believe it, but he sensed uncertainty from his blood soaked opponent.
Roman tested his theory by pushing "psycho number two's" head back by lifting the barrel under his chin. Psycho number one's eyes darted towards its partner, a tremble running through the his entire body. Roman felt a blossom of confidence rise within him. He had leverage.
Roman's lips pursed as he scowled at psycho number one before speaking. "Drop the saw, or I will kill him." Roman said, his words carrying a grim doom that let the psycho know it was no idle threat. Psycho number one's eyes twisted and narrowed, the twitchy emotional gaze filling with hatred. The psycho didnt drop the saw, but hovered it inches from Roman and his hostages necks. The only movement's coming from the three, was the gentle swaying of the chainsaw as the wielder compensated for it's weight.
Roman wasnt impressed by the psycho's defiance, not after he saw the hesitation from earlier. There was no doubt in Roman's mind, the psycho's partner was anything but expendable. Roman kept his stern gaze on the psycho's eyes, battering back the wild looks of aggression. "You may kill me, before I kill you both… but either way, he dies." Roman said, more confident and matter of fact then before. The saw swayed gently at his words, but otherwise remained still. Roman gave the psycho number one a look of annoyance before speaking. "I will count to three." Roman said.
To Roman's surprise, before he could even begin the count, psycho number one spoke out. "Wait!" A female voice rang out. Roman blinked, he didnt expect the blood stained abomination in front of him to be a woman. Psycho number two twitched at the sound of her voice, his calm, detached eyes growing volatile. "Don't talk to him! Kill him!" The masked man snarled.
Roman's body tensed, as he felt his hostage begin to shudder, not from fear but from something else. These two were clearly unstable. Roman found their shifts in demeanor alone to be unnerving. Trying to analyze and predict what they would do would be virtually impossible for him.
Roman pushed the feelings of doubt from his mind, like the wretched poison it was. "One." Roman said in a firm voice. Roman had no intentions of counting to three. He would count to two, to see what the approaching decision would do to the chainsaw wielder, but after that, he would turn the gun and blow the lady psycho away.
The saw began to shudder and move away from Roman and his hostage's necks, only to jerk right back into place. There was a war going on behind the chainsaw wielders eyes, obvious even through her very movements. Roman steeled himself, and pursed his lips, before speaking his final count. "Two."
Before Roman could begin the executions, the bladed chain rose up and away from him. "Stop!" The lady psycho said. Roman would have simply aimed around the hostage and put a bullet between her eyes, if it wasnt for the tone in the woman's voice. He was taken back, by the level of sadness and fear behind that single word. This wasnt just a partner, there was a deep love between them, even as the hostage quaked in frustration, Roman could see it clear as day. Why 50 Blessing would allow such a glaring defect in the programming, Roman had no earthly idea. He did know one thing for sure. He would be a fool to leave such a weakness unexploited.
# # #
Alex felt her mind splinter in half. She grit her teeth, as moisture welled in her eyes and the hair on her scalp bristled and stood on end. She couldnt do it. She couldnt simply carve around her brother, the risk was far to great. If she were to lose Ash, she would lose everything. Everything she did for herself, she truly did for Ash.
Even as kids, she would lead and create, and he would follow and support. To this day, they were still basking in the fantasy worlds Alex created, only instead of rat poison, knives and neighborhood pets, it was chainsaws, guns and Russian mobsters. She would do anything to keep her brother with her, even if it meant dropping the fantasy and risking capture.
Ash reacted in a way Alex should have predicted. With his arm painfully trapped under the mob bosses control, and a gun against his throat, he threw his body foreword with wild abandon, clawing at the gun in Roman's hand without a shred of self preservation. Ash wasn't Alex's drone, she never brain washed him. He was an eager participant. Even when he was the golden child in their parents eyes, the first and only of their siblings to get a higher education, Ash still depended on the phone calls from his dear sister. Alex spent countless hours chatting with her brother while he was in college. In many ways, it was like he never left Alex, but remained plugged into their secret world.
When Ash was drafted to serve in the Hawaiian conflict, Alex dropped everything and signed up alongside him. Even back in the war, she was the commander, and he the defender, and right now his commander was being forced to into a position of weakness. Forced to drop the fantasy to save his life. Ash couldnt allow that. He would rather eat a bullet from the mob bosses gun, then see "killer number one" degraded that way.
Alex cried out, as her brother wrestled for Roman's gun. She revved the saw in the air out in front of her, hoping to scare the mob boss and weaken his focus, but it wasnt enough. Roman slipped his hand free, slamming the butt of the gun against Ash's forehead. The blow of the metal handle drove the senses from Ash's body, dropping the young man motionless to the ground. Alex's face twisted with fury as she brought the revving saw down upon the mob boss.
Roman's eyes were wide as he threw the pistol out towards the saw. It was the only thing he could do to avoid taking the whirling bits against his neck. Even if he had the time to aim and shoot Alex, the saw would come down regardless. Roman turned the gun sideways to catch the ravenous saw blades against the barrel and trigger guard. Sparks flew as the teeth dug against the metal, digging into the trigger guard and tearing it from Roman's grasp.
The mob boss jumped backwards, throwing his hands out to the sides to avoid contact with the saw as it finished its swing towards the ground. Alex glared at Roman, holding her heavy saw low against her thighs. Roman took a step back, his eyes wide with anxiety, but still a look of defiance was smeared across his lips. Alex would cure him of that soon enough. Alex turned the saw towards Roman, squeezing the throttle again and again, revving the engine until its roaring voice filled the room.
Roman staggered backwards. He bared his teeth, as his eyes darted around the room. Alex took one slow step foreword, and then another. She moved deliberately as she stalked towards her victim. She squeezed the throttle again, making a half second roar into the air, but otherwise let her slow footsteps and the low sputter of the engine build the tension between her and her next victim. She was going to savor this moment as much as she could. After all, she could only kill the mob boss once.
# # #
Roman couldnt retreat any further. One more step, and his back would be against the wall. He felt the sickening sensation of panic spread inside of him, like an infection of the soul, but he steeled himself. He wasnt without a plan, he didnt get to where he was in life without thinking two steps ahead… but still, there was a large margin for error, and error in this case would mean a gruesome death. Every move Roman made from here on out would have to be perfect. Such a requirement would no doubt be an impossibility to most people, but not to Roman. Roman had spent his entire life in pursuit of perfection, and he wasnt about to give up now.
Hanging on the wall, behind the chainsaw wielding psycho, was a sword rack with three of his moderately impressive katanas, so close and yet so far away. Roman took a deep breath, and waited, for the chainsaw wielding bitch to finally make her attack. She had been standing in front of him for what felt like minutes, though Roman knew it couldnt have been more a matter of seconds. Her eyes were unblinking, her face hungry and longing, her body rigid, barely moving, save for the occasional jerk of the saw, as she squeezed the throttle. He pursed his lips and flared his nostrils back at her in disgust. He wasnt sure what irritated him more, that she was being so blatantly that she was trying to intimidate him, or that it was working.
Roman's body braced for action, as the look in the lady psycho's eyes began to change. The intense longing had become a fiery hunger, as her eyes twitched behind her blood stained mask. Roman felt a small moment of clarity before the strike. It was as if he felt the attack from the psycho woman's eyes, the moment before the attack would come.
The bladed chain spun to life, as the engine roared in anger. The psycho swept the tip of the saw in a wide sweeping motion. The tip of the saw arced its way towards Roman's belly, but he was ready for it. He dove foreword, as the tip of the saw carved a savage line through the wall of his office, where he once stood. He landed on his shoulders and rolled to his feet, as he heard the horrible grinding sound of the saw dragging itself across the hard floor at his heels. He felt the rustle of air blow through his pant legs against the back of his calf as the whirling blades came dangerously close.
Roman didnt feel any pain in his legs as they began to run. He knew this was either a good sign, or a very bad one. Regardless, she was directly behind him, chasing him, but Roman couldnt think about that now. Now, he could only run.
Roman sprinted straight ahead, the muscles in his legs supernaturally fueled by the legendary levels of adrenaline pumping through his body. He didnt think about the chain saw wielder behind him, or how she had followed him faster then he anticipated, and he especially didnt think about how he would have just enough time to reach the wall rack before she would be upon him. He crashed head long into the rack of katana's, not even bothering to stop, for the moment he slowed down, he would feel the ravenous bite of the saw.
# # #
Alex was impressed the mob boss could move so nimbly. She fully expected to be twisting the mans guts around her saw at this point, but instead he pulled some acrobatics stunt from his ass. As the mob boss somersaulted to his feet, she just missed a perfect chance to sever his tendons and watch him flop on the ground like a fish. She grimaced in disappointment as she quickly moved towards the exit, reaching out with her saw to carve out Roman's legs when he ran for his life… but again, the mobster surprised her.
Roman didnt run for he door, but ran face first into the sword rack against the wall. Alex blinked, grinning in amusement as she approached. She watched with curiosity as Roman juggled the swords that flew from the rack. He caught one of them by the handle before wildly flinging decorative scabbard from its blade.
The mob boss whirled around, holding the sword outwards with a fiery look in his eyes. The mob boss probably predicted Alex would have chased him against the wall, and buried her saw in his back, and he might have been right, if Alex wasnt more concerned about the mob boss escaping, then arming himself. Now that Roman was armed, and with a Japanese antique sword of all things, it had become more interesting.
A large, twisted grin spread over Alex's face. She revved the saw into the air as she gracefully turned the heavy gas powered beast in a dramatic figure eight in front of her. The mob boss tried to ignore her ritualistic movements as he readied himself with what looked to be meditative breaths and eastern mind games. Her grin only got wider as the mob boss chambered the sword back in what looked to be a trained stance. Alex couldn't have imagined a better ending for the rampage.
Alex raised the saw and charged, tightly squeezing down the throttle with blood drunk abandon. Roman braced himself, lowering his arms so he held his sword down and out from him. Alex didnt care how the mob boss held him sword, he would die screaming all the same.
Alex reached foreword with the saw, bringing the twenty inches of spinning metallic teeth down on the mob boss. Roman swiftly stepped to the side, avoiding the swirling, roaring weapon and swinging at an upward strike aimed for Alex's forearm. Alex jerked her saw to the left, narrowly blocking the antique blade with her weapon's thick plastic housing.
The Japanese weapon slammed against the chainsaw housing, cracking the plastic case. Alex fumed with rage as she swept the blurring blades of the saw back towards Roman who nimbly back stepped around the blow. Alex pressed the attack, fuelled by anger that the mob boss had the audacity to damage her beautiful saw.
Roman quickly retreated from Alex's wild and furious attacks, nearly tripping when his heel lifted up the shag rug in front of his large desk. Alex swung the roaring spinning blades in a savage diagonal strike. Roman swung the blade of his antique weapon against the whirling saw, attempting to batter the strike away from him. Sparks flew and both weapons jumped back as they made contact with one another, sending the off balanced mob boss staggering back against the desk.
Roman's upper thigh bashed against the wood lip of his desk, causing the mob boss to collapse backwards, his rump partially sitting on the desks surface. Alex gleefully brought her saw down on Roman in his compromised position. Roman again, raised his sword and blocked the whirling saw teeth with his weapon, his scowl of a face becoming a grimace.
Sparks flew and the horrid noise of the two weapons skipping off of one another rang through the office. Roman grit his teeth as he was pushed back even further from his feet and onto the desk. Alex pushed foreword, grinding the whirling blades against the priceless Japanese artifact, as she lowered the tip of the saw down towards the mob bosses face. Roman kept his arms fully extended, pushing against the bouncing, skipping saw, as the blurring blades came dangerously close to his right eye. Sparks showered down upon the struggling mob bosses face and body as the weapons remained in close contact, the spinning metallic teeth of the saw wearing an indent into the old blade.
# # #
Roman snarled in frustration. If he was still able to feel minor pains, he would find the jar of pens jabbing into the small of his back extremely uncomfortable, but in his current state of mind, with every part of him struggling to survive, he didn't even noticed. He could barely open his eyes, as the shower of sparks, and tiny pieces of metal from his katana and the chainsaw's bladed chain, were spraying against his face.
He lifted his legs from the floor, and carefully kicked back against the housing of the chainsaw. The maniac staggered backwards as his blow thrust the heavy weapon back against her. Roman took the time to slide foreword on the desk to stand on his feet once again.
He waited, as the maniac stood poised for another attack… but something was different. He continued to wait, narrowing his eyes as he studied the rigid, statue like warrior in front of him. Until now, she had been relentless. She attacked at every opportunity and committed to every onslaught. Only now when he had just recovered his footing, she did not press the advantage, she did not try to force him back against the desk. She just stood there.
Thats when Roman noticed it. The faint, purring sputter of the chainsaw's gas powered engine had grown silent. Roman's eyes flashed with realization. The motor had cut out. Now was the time to attack!
# # #
Alex was like a deer in the headlights. She wasnt sure how it had happened, but somehow the big kick to the chainsaw housing, triggered the chain brake's kill switch. Alex had taken drastic steps to avoid this from happening, by having her brother remove the chain break almost entirely. While the hand break is an important safety feature, a handle shaped shield in front of the users hand in case the chain breaks and flies back, when using it as a weapon the last thing Alex wanted was a mechanism that turned off the motor. Without restarting the motor, the toothy chain of her beauty would not spin. What was worse, was her beauty had been growing very hot in her hands, which meant it wouldnt want to start.
Alex's blood went cold as she saw the sparkle of discovery behind the mob bosses eyes. She quickly threw her hand to the starter cord, but it was to late. Roman flew from the desk towards her, swinging his sword in a downward strike, forcing Alex to drop the handle of the starter cord and bring the saw up to block the blow on the chainsaw housing. Alex winced as the sound of the plastic shell cracking filled her ears.
Roman's foot snapped foreword, battering the wind from Alex's lung as the toe of his shiny leather shoe smashed against her stomach. She coughed and staggered back, trying desperately to find the starter cord with her hands, as her eyes filled with water. Roman interrupted her attempts again, slicing the antique sword against the chainsaw bar, and the bladed chain. She bared her teeth under her blood stained mask, as she wrestled the mob boss's blade away from her head.
Roman turned the sword to the side and stepped foreword, sliding the blade across Alex's weapon and bringing the point of the curved blade down towards her throat. Alex felt like screaming with rage, he was pushing foreword, bullying her with his superior strength and speed. He was getting in close, because he did not fear her now that her weapon had grown silent.
Alex thrust her arms foreword, bringing the heavy plastic chainsaw housing crashing against the mob bosses cheek, the weight of the weapon snapping Roman's head back. The mob boss reeled backwards, his eyes wide with delicious surprise. Alex saw an opening and pushed the attack. She stepped foreword and swung the heavy weapon in her arms with all of her might. The large heavy housing slammed into Roman's stomach, battering his breath as well as a mouthful of spittle from his lips.
Alex lifted her slumbering weapon straight up, bringing the housing up under Roman's chin, knocking the man near senseless as he staggered and fell. Roman's back slammed against the desk behind him, landing on his rump in a dazed stupor. His eyes were wide, his jaw dropped. He was more then simply stunned, he was shocked Alex had been able to knock him on his ass.
Alex took the time to try and start the motor of her chainsaw. She gripped the plastic handle of the pull string and pulled it wildly. As she predicted, her overheated motor refused to give as much as a cough. Roman's wide bewildered eyes stared up at Alex as she struggled to start the saw. The tip of Roman's antique sword slammed down into the shag carpet, as he used it as a crutch to slowly lift himself up.
Alex braced for another attack, as she continued to yank on the starter cord, but the attack didnt come. Roman was slowly reaching to the buttons of his black vest, undoing them with angry, jerky movements. His face bristled with pent up frustration. Alex narrowed her eyes, she was sure he would try to attack her again, before she could bring her weapon back to life, but instead he was undressing.
She watched as the anger and frustration slowly retreated behind his disciplined mask of a face, as his fingers began to move calmly over the last button, gently undoing it, opposed to the first two he nearly ripped off altogether.
The motor of her saw coughed and gurgled, before the final pull caused it to roar to life. Reinvigorated by the return of her saw, Alex revved the engine rapidly, turning and swinging the swirling blades through the air. She watched Roman out of the corner of her eyes, as she staggered before him, dramatically sweeping the tip of the saw through the air.
Roman hesitated for a moment, seeing the saw roar to life, before his hand moved from the collar button of his shirt, to the handle of the sword leaning against the desk. Alex waited with baited breath, wanting to see what the mob boss would do next. When Roman saw Alex was not going to attack, he unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.
A strange look of respect blossomed behind Roman's eyes, as if her unwillingness to rush him wildly as soon as she got the power back to her saw, was a sign of good taste. Alex eased her finger away from the throttle, letting the heavy weapon rest against her legs and groin, unable to curve her curiosity to watch the mob boss preform his undressing ceremony. After all, what harm was there in relishing this moment, just for a little while longer?
She looked over to the man she was locked in mortal combat with. To Alex's surprise he had grown so calm that he left his katana leaning against the desk, as he removed the vest from his body, tossing it aside. Alex continued to watch, but quickly grew bored by the slow methodical movements the mob boss made. She entertained herself by turning saw to the side and revving the motor, making a dramatic sweep from left to right, before lifting it up against her body. She would occasionally jerk the swirling teeth towards the unnaturally calm kingpin, to see if she could break his concentration.
The mob boss flinched, but otherwise his fingers continued to work, ignoring her antics. Finally, Roman finished unbuttoning his shirt, slowly pulling it open, revealing a chest full of tattoos, before letting the shirt slide to the floor.
Alex's jaw dropped at the sight of the hellish images inked over the mob bosses trim, athletic body. A red dragon was inked over his right arm and neck. The head of the monstrous creature wasnt visible to Alex, as it hooked around across his shoulder and back, its clawed arm clutching against Roman's shoulder. On Roman's left shoulder, a hideous, devil with a spaded tail grinned back at Alex with leering eyes. The devil was interwoven with other symbols, and runes, one of which was some kind of flag made up of three colored, vertical bars. The chaotic patterns all somehow flowed together, making an oppressive looking sleeve tattoo all the way down to Roman's forearm. But Alex could barely notice any of those tattoos, it was the one inked boldly, proudly across Roman's chest and torso that captivated her eyes.
Across his chest, two black and red disembodied hands gripping a length of barb wire that dug into the flesh of the dark hands. The dark hands were pulling the strand of barbed wire, cruelly strangling a robed women. The robed women, despite having the barb wire wrapped around her neck, tearing into her throat, had a pleasantly calm, motherly smile across her lips, contrasting the bloody tears trailing from her closed eyes.
It took Alex a moment to realize who the matronly robed woman was supposed to be, until she saw the hands cupped together in prayer in front of her chest. Across Roman's entire torso, Roman was tattooed with two demonic hands strangling the virgin Mary to death. Alex had never been so aroused.
She waited to see if the big bad mob boss would make the first move. Roman was calm as he swung his sword through the air, before holding it back and above his head in an aggressive stance. Roman sneered back at her, his stoney face as much a mask the one Alex wore herself.
The time he took unbuttoning his little buttons, had somehow centered the kingpin. Alex smirked at Roman's elaborate use of stances and decided to play along. She cocked the heavy saw up and over her right shoulder, keeping the bar of the saw pointed directly at Roman, holding down the throttle and letting the engine scream in her ear as she charged.
She swung the fume spewing saw down early In front of Roman, down through the air at a diagonal angle, redirecting the momentum up before bringing it straight down towards Roman. Roman did not stand there and take it, he sprinted foreword to reach her, meeting the swan faced killer in the middle, before swinging the curved antique sword through the air in a vicious downward arc. The saw blades met the Eastern sword with a terrible clash of metal and sparks. Alex felt the saw jump up into the air, as its teeth bit against the ancient steel of the Japanese relic. Likewise, Roman staggered back before bringing his sword into a guarded stance. Alex revved the saw defiantly, Roman glared back at her, unfazed. Alex snarled her lips under her mask and continued her assault.
Roman stepped out of the way of Alex's next attack, letting the saw carve a jagged line across the front of the desk, sending wood chips flying through the air. Roman swung the ancient Japanese sword at Alex as she recovered. She blocked the priceless museum piece with the heavy housing of the chainsaw. The housing further cracked, before Roman deftly avoided Alex's sweeping counter attack. She was unsure if chipping away the thick plastic exterior of her saw was part of some strategy of the kingpin's or if that just happened to be the same spot she kept blocking his blows.
Alex pressed the attack, blind with aggression, hoping to overwhelm the mob boss. She backed Roman against a wall before swinging the saw down at him. Roman had no choice but to block the attack, using the side of the sword against Alex's heavy strike, battering the sparking chain away from his body.
Roman fell back, as the impact knocked his weapon towards him, sending his shoulders flat against the wall behind him. Alex swept a wild horizontal swing after the mobster, digging through the drywall behind him, as he once again, stepped around her attack.
The nimble mob boss dodged the whirling saw blades effortlessly. Alex glared. He had been dancing outside of her reach, instead of fighting for the last few minutes now. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to tire her out. She could feel the ache in her arms and shoulders, even her back was beginning to scream with pain. She simply ignored it. The Killer Swans didnt feel pain, so neither did she.
She pressed the attack, using shear fury to drive Roman back into a corner, where his lithe legs wouldnt help him escape. Even cornered, the mob boss remained unnaturally poised, pissing Alex off to no end. Alex thrust the whirling teeth of the saw towards Roman's stoic face. The mob boss stepped to the side, sweeping his sword to parry the spinning saw aside. Alex's saw bounced and jammed itself into the drywall, while the mob boss simply absorbed the jerk by leaning into blunt side of his sword.
To Alex's surprise, the mob boss didnt try to scamper away again, but instead took the offensive, bringing the left side of his body close against hers, even with his sword off to the side against the housing of her saw. Roman removed his left hand from the handle of his sword, and threw a vicious elbow strike, letting out a loud yell through his snarling lips. The mob bosses elbow crashed against Alex's skull with so much force that Alex saw stars. When her vision cleared, the first thing she saw, was the ceiling swirl into view. It wasnt until the back of her head bounced against the floor, that she realized her legs had collapsed underneath her.
Alex's heavy weapon bounced against the ground. Through sheer dedication to her murderous persona, she had managed to keep her right hand gripped around the handle of the heavy device. Roman's dress shoe stomped down against her forearm, tearing Alex's mind from her her daze. Her fingers squeezed around the throttle, revving the saw and spinning the bladed chain, but her arm was trapped, and the blades spun futilely above the ground, more of a danger to herself then the kingpin.
Alex looked up at the mob boss who now stood over her. Her eyes widened. The antique sword was held high above his head, with the point of the blade angled downward, poised to pierce her throat. The battered blade plunged down at Alex with terrifying speed.
Whether it was quick thinking and adrenaline, or sheer blind luck, Alex managed to slam her gloved hand over the tip of the blade, knocking the thrust aside so it just missed her, digging into the hard floor near her head. Roman simply lifted the sword and thrust it down again, faster and less precise this time. Alex again swatted the blade aside. A loud surprised yelp escaped her lips, betraying her Killer Swan persona, as the tip of the sword sliced through her glove and cut into the palm of her hand.
The toe of Roman's shoe snapped foreword, catching Alex under the chin. The whole world spun before Alex's eyes and her thoughts were scrambled inside her skull. She was near powerless to stop the killing blow from raining down on her now.
Alex squinted her eyes and turned her head, as the tip of the sword came down. The tip pierced its way through Alex's mask, plunging towards her skull. Alex felt the sword pass through the swan mask's eyes and lance towards her face. Darkness. The blade eclipsed her vision, and sank into the concrete and thin rug beneath Alex, passing mere centimeters in front of her eyes.
Alex wouldnt have much time for Roman to realize he had stabbed nothing but mask. She clenched her bloodied fist tightly, bringing her rattled mind back to focus by flooding it with pain and adrenaline as the wound gushed down her wrist and forearm. She thrusted her bloodied hand upward with all of her might, striking blindly at the nearest target of opportunity above her. Her knuckles crashed up between Roman's spread legs.
A loud, deep groan escaped Roman's lips, and she felt the sole of his shoe slip from her forearm. The blade lifted from her mask as the mob boss staggered backwards. Alex didnt waste any time. She threw her bloodied hand for the top handle of her gas powered weapon, letting her beauty roar to life as she spun her body back around, swinging the whirling blades at Roman's retreating form.
Alex heard Roman grunt, as she scrambled to her feet, swinging the revving chainsaw back and forth wildly. When she finally reached up and straightened her mask, the first thing she saw was Roman's hate ridden face lunging towards her. She barely managed to raise the chainsaw housing to block the sudden barrage of blows, that sent pieces of orange plastic flying off in all directions.
For the first time, Alex found herself to be the one driven back by his fierce onslaught. Roman let out a mighty yell as he battered the saw to the side and stepped towards her, driving a powerful side kick straight into her stomach. Through the pain, Alex sensed her body become airborne for a brief but dreamy moment, before landing with a terrible crash against the carpet and concrete floor.
Alex was unable to keep her hands around the handle and throttle of her beauty this time. She was unable to do much of anything. She heard the sound of the chainsaw's motor quit, sputtering one final protest before going silent.
Alex's body screamed in pain as she lifted her head. The saw had landed close by. Her fingers were clumsy as they reached for the pull cord, her body still racked with the trauma from Roman's fearsome blow. Her fingers touched the plastic housing of the chainsaw next to the pull cord, before recoiling in pain. The motor was overheated. She had felt the heat growing warmer and warmer through the handle, but it was now burning to the touch. Alex grimly yanked the cord anyway, having no other option but to try and start her weapon back up, and wait for Roman's counter attack. To her surprise though, no attack came.
Roman was staring down at her. He was only a few feet away, but he did not attack, he just stood there, staring. The intense rage fueling his frenzied attacks had begun to dissipate. He now simply stood there, with pained eyes. It was then Alex noticed the steady stream of red, dripping onto the floor by his feet. She watched the small puddle of blood, fed by the rapidly falling droplets, running off of Roman's left hand, in between his curled fingers. Alex's eyes followed the trail of blood up to the source. There on Roman's left bicep was a deep gash, half severing his arm.
Alex realized she was holding her breath, it was finally over. She was just as surprised as the mob boss was, by the bewildered look plastered over his face. Roman took a step to the side, towards the middle of the office and away from Alex.
She began to rise to her feet, prompting Roman to raise his ancient sword above his head with his remaining good arm. Alex simply watched the conflict behind the mob bosses eyes. Whatever it was racing through his mind, it was causing him as much pain as the deadly wound on his arm. Alex could plainly see the wound on his arm was serious, that if he didn't do something to slow the bleeding, no amount of willpower and Eastern meditation would keep him from keeling over. Yet still, Roman stood before her, bound by pride to keep fighting.
Alex slowly shifted her legs around, so she half sat, half squatted on the ground. She was afraid that any sudden movements would force the kingpin to attack, or worse, try to escape. Roman and Alex's eyes both moved at the same time, at the sudden stirring to her right. Ash, who had been lying face down and motionless through the entire fight, was moving his legs. Alex looked back up to Roman and saw the realization creep into his mind. Alex and Ash were in between him and the exit. He was running out of options.
The kingpin snapped out of his own head and yelled ferociously through bared teeth, bringing the sword back even further, poised to throw. Alex lifted her overheated saw, shielding her body as she remained low on the ground, but Roman suddenly turned away from her. She sprinted towards his desk and threw the sword with all of his might, sending the sword streaking over his large desk and piercing through the window behind it. The glass exploded outward, following the sword as it tumbled through the air. Roman shielded his face and neck with his remaining good arm and flung himself through the broken glass, groaning painfully as he crashed through the sharp shards and landed on the hard concrete outside of the club.
Alex sprang to her feet as quickly as her unsteady legs would allow. Before she could regain her composure, Ash was back on his feet, shouldering past her, his gun held out. He fired rapidly at Roman's retreating form as it limped past the window. Alex followed her brother, who moved mechanically towards the window, firing several more shots after Roman into the dark city night.
Ash aimed out the broken window, lining up the sights of his pistol at the mob boss, as he ran straight into traffic. Before he could pull the trigger, a yellow taxi screeched on its brakes, nearly running the kingpin over. Roman rolled over the hood of the taxi, ducking on the other side of the yellow car, that now obscured Ash's shot.
The sound of sirens in the distance caused Alex and Ash's spines to straighten in attention. The Russians were not above open war with the police, so violent crimes became battles the police had to pick and chose. While it was becoming rare for the police to show up at all in Russian infested areas, and when they did, they came in force.
Ash took the lead, holding his pistol out as he checked the hallway, before fully emerging from the office door. Alex followed in her brothers footsteps, though not as well he followed in hers. Ash lead them out the emergency exit, carefully checking each corner, as he made his way foreword, moving as professionally and as quickly as he could.
Alex felt a swirl of emotions from inside herself. They had massacred everyone who stood in their path, except one. The most important person they could have killed had got away. While it was a mark on what had been a perfect massacre, mentally and physically she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more then a bag of green, and a comfy couch.
Ash briskly led them towards the parking lot, around the back of the club. They moved quickly, in unison, as the police sirens grew closer and closer. They weaved through the cars making their way towards their spray painted, turquoise van. Alex mentally sighed in relief, as Ash reached out and pulled down the handle of the side door, yanking and sliding the heavy door open.
The barrel of an AK-47 was shoved in Ash's face. His arm snapped up, bringing his pistol to bare on his attacker, but before he pulled the trigger, he recognized the bear shaped mask the gunman wore. Mark's eyes widened under his mask, as he quickly raised his rifle. "Wait, its me, its me!" Mark said.
# # #
Mark glanced back at Alex and winced. She was practically drenched in blood. Alex said nothing, but dropped her heavy saw down on the van floor in front of him with a weary sigh. Mark remained motionless as Ash slammed the van door shut, and the two made their way into the driver and passenger side doors. The twins continued to say nothing, apparently communicating through body language as they got into their respective seats, with Ash behind the wheel.
Mark watched the two nervously, the sounds of the sirens were growing closer. If they got busted in a 50 Blessings van, with masks, guns and a chainsaw, there was no way in hell they were going anywhere, without handcuffs or body bags. "Common, lets get out of here!" Mark whined, gripping the back of the twins seats nervously. "Shut up, I'm looking for the keys…" Ash said, the tension in his voice clearly audible.
Alex just looked around through the windows, trying to spot the cop cars before they rolled up. Mark gasped in disbelief. "You dont have the keys on you?" He asked frantically. Ash muttered under his breath. "I didnt say that, I… shut up would you?" Ash snapped, checking under the visor of the front seat. Alex reached towards the ash tray and pulled the key from it, before sliding it into the ignition. "There!" She shouted before Ash turned the key.
The engine of the van rumbled to life. Mark held his breath as Ash threw the van into drive and rolled them from the parking lot. Alex tapped the passenger window rapidly with her finger, as Mark whirled his head in the same direction. Red and blue flashing lights in the distance, they were less then a minute away.
Everyone in the van was holding their breath, as Ash was forced to wait for traffic. When an opening in traffic finally appeared, Mark and Alex both threw their hands foreword at the same time and shouted. "There!" In unison. Ash signaled and took the left handed turn. "I see it. I see it…" He mumbled. Mark glanced down at the speedometer, noticing Ash was driving the speed limit rather then peeling out, as he would have in Ash's place.
Mark stumbled and fell as he scampered to turn around. He felt a wet spot on his knee, and tried not to realize he had knelt in some blood, before moving to look out the back window. His heart beat a thousand times a minute as he watched the police convoy arrive, only three cars behind them. The first car turned into the parking lot, followed by the second one. The rest fanned out, parking around the club from every angle. None of the cars pursued them.
Mark watched the cop cars, with his rubber mask smashed against the back window, his breath fogging the glass. Ash turned the wheel, leaving the flashing lights and sirens behind them. Mark screamed in pure elation. He pumped his fist through the air victoriously, before throwing his head and body back at his comrades in arms. Ash slammed his fist down against the steering wheel, again and again, as he screamed "Yes! Yes! Yes!" repeatedly through gritted teeth, while his sister clapped her hands wildly before throwing them up towards the ceiling of the van, letting out a long, ear piercing "Wooooooo!"
Mark fell onto his knees again, as he scampered back to the front of the van, sliding up in between the twin seats. He roared triumphantly in their ears and beat his fists against the back of their seats, shaking them back and forth. Alex turned and smacked her fingertips over Mark's mask, shoulders and chest, patting the big bear in elation. Ash kept his body foreword, but reached one hand back and did the same, slapping his hand over the top of Mark's masked head, while the twins continued to whoop and yell. Mark grabbed the twins by the shoulder pads and shook them. "We fucked them up!" Ash pumped his fist, striking the review mirror and tilting it at a strange angle, before screaming. "Yea!" Alex punched both of her hands up towards the ceiling and screamed "Fuck yea!"
Mark was ecstatic. He felt joy and relief like he had never experienced before. He had looked death straight in the eyes and survived. He did more then just survive, he showed all those mother fuckers what happens when you kick a sleeping bear. "We killed ALL those mother fuckers!" Mark screamed, to the accompanying "Yea!" Of the twins, as they continued to whoop and yell, until they eventually relaxed into a fit of excited giggling.
Alex whirled her body around, smacking the bill of her rubber mask against the gaping mouth of Mark's bear mask. "Mark! How did you get free?" She asked excitedly. Mark leaned back, inching towards his seat behind them before answering. "I dont know, I just… I just…" Mark said, looking for the right words. Ash was looking up into the rear view mirror, looking back at him with hungry, eager eyes. "Yea? Yea?" He asked excitedly. Mark continued. "I… just went fucking NUTS!" Mark said, giving another victory yell. The twins yelled right back, screaming like maniacs, to the point where they began to swerve all over the road.
Alex lifted her mask just high enough to flash Mark a sweet smile. "You got to tell us all about it Mark…" She said earnestly. Mark nodded, gathering his thoughts for his story time, before Ash interrupted. "Say Mark, what are you going to do now?" Ash asked. It was a simple question, vague and probing, but simple. Mark knew what Ash was getting at. He was most likely referring to the reservations Mark had in becoming a mass murdering vigilante. Mark only hesitated for a moment. "I want to kill them all!" Mark screamed giving the twins another shake. Ash turned his head, to look back at him directly, before jerking back towards the road. "You want to do it again?" Ash asked in disbelief. Mark threw his hands up triumphantly, feeling a welling of power and energy erupt inside him. "I want to do it again!" Mark yelled. The twins joined in his yelling, and they continued driving down the road, hooting and hollaring like the trio of maniacs they had become.
When all the yelling, laughing, and shouting of exclamations finally died down, there was a brief moment of silence that stretched on for awhile. Mark took the moment to gather his thoughts, and reflecting on all that had transpired, not only the night or violence and torture, but everything leading up to it as well.
Alex broke Mark's silent reflecting, by looking back and glancing at him playfully, before turning towards her brother. "Mark's fun when he wants to be, huh?" Alex said, with a certain "I told you so" tone in her voice. Ash sighed, and lowered his masked head, before nodding. "Yea, he is…" Ash grumbled, as if admitting guilt. Mark watched Alex stare at her brother, and could almost see a smug grin through her blood splattered swan mask. "Arent you glad we didnt kill him?" She asked knowingly. Ash nodded with a sigh. "Yea, yea…" He said reluctantly. Mark felt a chill run through his spine.
"What?"