Continued from here part 3
Sacramento Iron Hall
Balain walks into her office staring at a holo-pad when a familiar voice draws her attention, "This armor looks like what happens when a rodeo clown starks a Chevy."
She doesn't look up, "Hello Gerald, what brings you to town?"
"Our beloved psychotic dictator has been a bit touchy about people humiliating his soldiers lately, when news of your little kung fu master hit his desk I got a call."
She dropped down in a chair, "The kid is damn good, plowed through my men while he was barely paying attention. Fights kind of like you."
Gerald turned to face her, "But does he have my charm?"
She looked to him, "My mother taught me that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything."
She then got up and left the room.
***
Tiffany and Curtis followed the Spider known as Fiddler Back through a series of underground tunnels. He seemed to be giving a history lesson as they went, "Been about ten years since we've used these tunnels regularly. There was about a decade when Sacramento had more Spiders than any other city in North America then that General Balain came in and pretty much destroyed are entire support system so we had to vacate."
Tiffany nodded, "We've been in K'un-Lun so long I hardly remember the outside world. We moved there when I was about five, Curtis was born there. We never had to worry about the Iron Soldiers but Mom said they were terrible."
Curtis stopped and interrupted them, "I'm hungry."
Fiddler Back looked to him, "We can stop and eat as soon as we see daylight."
Fiddler Back then turned and started to head forward when Tiffany tapped him on the shoulder, "He's already gone."
They turned and saw nothing, "How'd he do that?"
She shrugged, "He'll be back, we should just wait he'll only get lost if we move on."
***
Curtis popped his head up from a manhole and noticed a hot dog cart. He hopped out and quickly made his way over and bought himself a couple of chili dogs and dropped down on a bench.
A man was wandering around behind him tapping on a device of some kind. He was Scalphunter trying to get the tracking device Balain had keyed into Curtis' energy signature to work. Curtis had mastered hiding his energy from these types of devices before leaving k'un-Lun.
Finally the assassin sat down on the bench paying no attention to the hooded man beside him munching on chili dogs. He may not have noticed him at all if Curtis hadn't dropped chili on his boot, "Are you a farm animal?"
Curtis looked over and held out a napkin, "Sorry."
Scalphunter recognized the face from the surveillance video he'd been shown, "Awesome, I got the rest of the day to sight see. But its Sacramento, well I can go make fun of folks at the Al-Mar I guess."
Curtis shrugged and continued to eat his hot dog as the man beside him seemed to be having a conversation with himself. As he finished he felt a gun on the side of his head.
Scalphunter casually placed the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. He looked down to Curtis' hand and saw him holding the top half of his gun, "Okay, that was kind of cool."
Curtis gave a wary look, "Bit of an over reaction, its just chili man."
Scalphunter's jaw dropped a little, "You don't know who I am?"
Curtis stared blankly as the assassin got up and gave a very dramatic introduction, "I am the infamous Scalphunter, head of the EAD and greatest of all time."
Curtis seemed to be clueless, "I'm bald."
"What?"
"You're Scalphunter, so I assume you hunt scalps but since I'm bald you have no reason to come after me."
"I don't hunt Scalps."
"Then why are you called Scalphunter?"
Gerald thought for a second, "It sounded cool."
"Very confusing."
He then pulled his sword, "Don't worry, you won't have to think too much about it."
He moved to stab him but Curtis swatted the blade and snapped it in half before kicking Scalphunter away. He then rose and attempted to walk away but Scalphunter came after. Gerald went to sweep kick Curtis' legs but he jumped up and spun trying to land a kick on his attacker but the assassin was quick enough to avoid it and watched as Curtis land on his toe and spun himself into a fight stance, "Okay, kid. You broke my gun and my sword and after the ballet twirl thing, I'm slightly impressed and possibly a little turned on, but I'll deal with that can of worms some other..."
He then noticed Curtis' attention seeming to drift. He moved to capitalize with a punch to the face but Curtis caught his hand while he still looked away, "What the stark is so damned fascinating?"
"That is the fattest squirrel I've ever seen."
Scalphunter couldn't resist looking over to the morbidly obese rodent, "Good lord, that's huge."
He then shook his head to get back in the game and went to kick his enemy but his leg was swatted down, Curtis then tried to return the favor but Scalphunter leaned away and came up trying to strike him in the crotch but Curtis flipped away.
The people on the street had stopped to watch as the two tried to attack each other and each time being met with a block or a dodge. Curtis stepped back, "You're not bad, I haven't missed a hit since I was twelve."
Scalphunter gave him a wary look, "Thought you had super powers."
"I wouldn't use them on a normal person, you're a jerk but I don't want to kill you."
Scalphunter looked a bit angry, "Who you calling Normal?"
He then charged and went to swing his right but when Curtis went to block he changed hands before he had time to react and struck him in the face. As Curtis seemed to be falling he spun around and kicked Scalphunter in the side of the head.
Curtis wiped the blood from his nose as Scalphunter tried to shake off the daze from the kick. Gerald gave a nod,"Alright, I'll just have to more thoroughly introduce myself."
(To be continued)
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