“Is that all?” Hammerhead asked as he looked down on Johnny Rugalinni as he lay in the back of the unregistered taxi.
“I swear on my life!” panted the very ashen faced man trying to stem the blood from his knees. “We were trying to kill him for you and he killed Leon and said…”
Hammerhead held up his hand, not interested in a repeat. The now cybernetic gangster turned to his boss, the man known as Mr Negative. The black and purple photonegative crime lord stroked his chin.
“Send him to the hospital,” Negative said.
“What?” Hammerhead remarked before remembering that he wasn’t in charge anymore since Negative ‘fixed’ him.
“If we kill every employee because something goes wrong then we will have nobody working for us,” Chin said. “Take him to the hospital.”
Hammerhead grit his teeth, clenched his fists and exhaled through his nose. “Yes…”
“Yes, what?”
Hammerhead resisted the urge beat the man who was now his boss to death with the wounded man. But since Mr Negative had rebuilt him after Underworld put an adamantium bullet in him, and also put an electroshock chip inside his skull, he had little choice but to follow orders like a grunt. It was quite humiliating for a man who once ran a crew to rival the Kingpin.
“Yes sir,”
**
“Oh great!” moaned the woman standing next to Underworld as Mister X; the shirtless mutant assassin, strode into the room like he owned it. “Well I’m out!”
“Why?” Jackie turned to her.
“Because as soon as powered clowns like him turn up the games over! Us normal people aint got a chance.”
“What makes you think I’m normal?” He said with a wry smile.
“Thought it was too good to be true that the tall handsome guy in shades was human.” She smiled and headed for the cocktail table. Jackie knew she was right though. Sixty million dollar mystery bounties tended to bring everyone out of the woodwork. Which is why you had Batroc chatting to Kangaroo; Foreigner and Spymaster comparing guns, Razorfist and The Harvester trying to outdo each other near the fruit bowl while The Shocker stood with his arms crossed trying to look tough amongst all the Hand members, AIM grunts and Maggia wannabes.
So far the really dangerous ones and the really crazy ones hadn’t even shown yet. Probably as there was another event going on uptown, which was both good and bad for business. Meant there was a lot of money in the city tonight.
“May I have your attention!” a voice bellowed from above. They all looked up to see a large minotaur standing on a platform above them. Jackie lowered his shades to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. Yup it was a minotaur alright.
“Thank you all for coming.” It said in a surprising voice that wasn’t gruff or bovine; a rich Transatlantic tone. “I will be brief as this many killers in one spot will draw attention that we could all do without. I am offering sixty million dollars to the person who brings me her head…” He pointed to the wall and an image of She-Hulk appeared on it. “Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk. Currently involved in several law cases that I would rather she wasn’t.”
Underworld watched as Batroc slunk away quickly followed by Shocker. He was tempted to follow suit because sure sixty million would mean never working ever again; the ramifications of killing someone so high profile would bring volcanic heat. AND the fact she was Hulk’s girlfriend or sister or something and that giant green bastard once punched Thor in orbit. But he watched as Razorfist, Spymaster and Mister X all took great interest in the minotaur's pitch.
**
“What do you think?” the woman asked Underworld as he grabbed a bottle of water off the table.
“I think you talk too much,” Jackie replied.
“I think you’re the Punisher,” she replied which made the immediate vicinity go silent and focus on them. Slowly he put his water down and stepped back.
“What’s the problem?” asked Razorfist as he sauntered over.
“Beat it handy,” Jackie sneered.
The woman sniggered which irked Razorfist more than the insult. “We’re all good here.”
Razorfist glared at Jackie who stepped forward and right into the red assassins face. “I said beat it!”
“Talk to m…”
Jackie lashed out grabbing his throat and flipping him like a pancake onto the drinks table sending glass and booze everywhere. Razorfist started to stand as Underworld’s gun poked into the top of his head.
“I hate repeating myself,” he said. “Maybe because you’re one of them handicaps is the reason I don’t spray your brains across the floor.”
“Okay people!” yelled the woman. “Show is over! Come on, let’s go.” And she ushered Jackie out the door and into the night.
“Don’t do that ever again,” he warned her as he holstered his hand cannon.
“What? Call you the Punisher or have you pick a fight with a handless ninja?” she smirked. “Pretty much everything in there was your fault.”
Jackie shook his head in frustration, a hand fishing into his pocket to get his pills.
“Names Cheesecake,”
“Didn’t ask, don’t care,” replied Underworld as he walked off into the night.
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