The Shit-Town Saga

The Blood Circle part 6 (finale)

Michael Hawkwood woke up sore.  There were no injuries besides bruising, but he needed a decent amount of pain killers that morning.  He checked his work offers and found he had some commissions, which would normally excite him as money had been tight, but he was exhausted and in pain.

His thought were on other matters, however. Nadie’s machinations were ever-present in the city, but he remained mostly anonymous, hidden in a country in the Southern Hemisphere.  Regardless of whether or not he captured Mano, he knew he had to make good on his promise.

Near a cluster of warehouses in the harbor, Mano stood on a rooftop with a set of binoculars.  He watched as the Horseman drove his motorcycle around the harbor, likely patrolling the area for him.  He received a call on his burner phone.

“Everything’s in order.  The boat should be there on time,” Nadie told him, “I understand our last man knows his purpose?”

“Yes.”

“I’m taking no chances.  I need you to finally get out of that country and that man is there to ensure that happens.”

It was getting dark when the Cavalier brought the Dragon to the harbor. As it was a Sunday night, the harbor front was quiet and empty.  He landed on a roof and padded along on foot toward the targeted warehouse and soon, he spotted a familiar figure below, approaching on a motorcycle.  The Horseman raised both MP5s slung over his shoulders and let his bike coast.  He opened fire as the Cavalier ran and rolled along the roof; bullets flew past or bounced off the ledge as the two men moved parallel.  Cavalier raised his long shield to deflect the rest of the barrage while shooting his grappling line.  When it snagged a ledge across the way, he swung across, his shield still blocking bullets just before he broke through a window.  After he smashed through the pane of glass, he rolled along the upper-level storage area, eventually toppling a stack of boxes and being reminded of the bruising his body endured the night before.

Outside, the Horseman let his guns dangle from the straps over his shoulders and he guided his motorcycle to a stop in front of the warehouse’s main entrance.  He got off the bike and raised his weapons once again before emptying them into the lock.  The bullets chewed into the metal, breaking it open.  After that, he left the empty guns with the bike and removed his foldable, automatic sawed-off shotgun.  With a firm, forward motion, the gun unfolded and snapped into place, then he entered the dark building. After he found the light switches along the wall, he saw no signs of his targets on the warehouse floor, which was crowded by packages and machinery.

“Hey, Horsey,” the Cavalier’s voice echoed across the warehouse floor, making it difficult to tell which direction it was coming from, “So let’s see if I got this, right.  Going by reports, your dad taught you how to ride and you were really into motorcycles at a young age, but you were also a big supporter of law enforcement.  You entered the Explorers Program in high school. You had a mentor around this time, some detective.  He told you it’s unlikely you’d ever be a cop because your parents had an insane amount of debt, which you’d be likely to inherit.”

“I know what you’re doing,” the Horseman angrily continued his search.

“You decided to focus on motocross after high school and got really good at stunt work and racing.  Seems like you made the right choice… but then all of a sudden you’re gearing up for a war.  Make it make sense.”

“You’re such a smug son of a bitch, know that?” the Horseman grew impatient, “Yeah, after I graduated, I got into motocross and I was damn good at it.  I had a manager I was working with that I really liked at first.  Then guess what happened?  One night, I go into his office because I was having a dispute with a sponsor and needed to talk to him.  I saw the guy at his computer.  He had his back turned and didn’t know I was there.  That asshole had a picture of a girl… maybe 12, I dunno.  I think you can guess what the picture entailed and why I’d be pissed.”

“I can imagine.”

“So I pulled him straight outta that chair and went to town on `im.  All the other riders and everyone had left so I knew it was only me and him in that little office.”

“You killed him.”

“Hell yeah, I did.  Beat him to death.  I called that detective you mentioned earlier.  Him and some of his friends took care of the body and I was never even suspected.  I was still torn up, though.  I wanted to find everyone involved in that kinda thing.  It was part of why I always wanted to be a cop. They knew how I felt and they started teaching me a few things. Nothing too serious, at first. I was basically an honorary deputy, even if it wasn’t official.  I just wanted to help with investigations, and when I almost got shot in a ride-along, they started training me to fight and shoot.  I kept asking for more and more training from different guys in different precincts and pretty soon, I surpassed them all.  I became the sum total of all their parts. They were happy with it and they saw me as someone who could make a difference. They let me go out on my own, supplying me with everything I needed. I was able to employ methods they weren’t allowed to and because of that, I brought justice that the system failed to deliver. You wanna know how the Horseman came to be, there it is.”

“So they created a monster.”

Cavalier dropped out of nowhere, tackling him against a crate.  The Horseman was startled and popped off one round as he fell, then an armored gauntlet grabbed hold of the gun.  Once his back was against the crate, he slammed a fist across Cavalier’s helmet.  The Cavalier pinned his arm back and delivered a head-butt, bringing both helmets together.  The Horseman pushed off the crate, bringing both men onto the floor.  He rolled off and took aim while Cavalier activated his broadsword.  The Horseman sacrificed his advantage and stepped back as the blade nearly sliced his weapon in half. He quickly disappeared behind some machinery as Cavalier rose to his feet.

“All this time, I thought you were calling the shots,” Cavalier was now the one searching the warehouse, “Sounds like you were the one working for them.”

“No, I earned the right to be a leader,” the Horseman’s voice echoed, “They needed someone to take out the trash and I stepped up.”

“You were a weapon.  You don’t realize they were in control the whole time.”

“They were my brothers and sisters!”

The Horseman flew out between gaps in the large machine along the wall, slamming the butt off the gun into the Cavalier.  He tried to take aim again, but the Cavalier spun around with his morning-star, slamming the Horseman against a nearby workbench.  More bullets came, but from above, hitting the armored men with enough force to knock them to the ground, but not enough to do serious damage.

Mano stood on top of the machinery, a Desert Eagle in hand, “I was hoping at least one of you’d be dead by now.”  With the Cavalier still bruised from his battle against the assassins, the sudden hail of bullets did little to help him feel better.  The Horseman stomping his head against against the concrete floor further exacerbated his pain.  The Horseman then turned his attention to Mano and fired.  Mano jumped from the machinery and landed somewhere behind a shelf full of crates, narrowly avoiding a shotgun blast.

“Finally caught up to you, asshole!” the Horseman shouted as he marched along the outer side of the shelf.

“Do you think I left those bread crumbs by accident?” Mano called out, “How else would I lure you out?”

Horseman ignored his remark, “Some good men died because of you!”

“Oh, are you talking about the Four Horseman?  I honestly forgot about them.”

The Horseman unloaded what was left in the shotgun, punching rapid-fire holes through the crates.  When it emptied, the gun was folded up and dropped into his backpack.  Next, the little Ruger LCP slipped out from the holster on his stomach.  Behind him, Mano emerged and took aim.  Instinctively, Horseman spun around and fired a shot, taking a bullet to the chest at the same time.  The shot pushed him back and his armor absorbed most of the blow.  Meanwhile, Mano strafed to the side as the stray bullet grazed his ribs.  “Mierda!” he shouted and raced across the floor to find shelter.  The wound was superficial, but painful.

The Horseman tried to pursue, but a hard-light quarter staff slammed against the gun.  The end of the staff then rose up, striking his helmet.  The gun was too damaged to be fired, but the Horseman used it to pistol-whip the Cavalier.  The Cavalier stumbled to the side but pivoted onto one foot and drove his heel into the Horseman’s side.  He then somersaulted, bringing the opposite foot against his helmet, knocking him to the ground.  Mano raced up behind the knight, wrapped one arm around his throat, and fired a bullet into the back of his helmet.  The armor held up once more, but the impact blurred his vision and caused more pain.  The Cavalier grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over his shoulder; once Mano was on the floor, he slammed a fist across his jaw.  By then, the Horseman had recovered and raced forward, close-lining the Cavalier hard enough to send him toping over a crate.  He stopped to catch his breath, only for Mano to run up and perform a flying kick to his back, which sent him over the crate as well.

Mano leapt over the two men on the floor and then raced toward a set of stairs leading up to a catwalk with railing on either side.  The Horseman gave chase and found Mano waiting for him once he reached the catwalk. “Nowhere to run,” the biker growled. “I know,” Mano smirked at him and ducked down, which gave the Horseman curious pause.  The Cavalier sent a grappling line up to the upper platform and when Horseman turned, he received an armored knee to the face.  The Cavalier landed on him, bringing all his weight down onto Horseman’s helmet.  With the biker stunned, Mano raced forward, grabbing the Cavalier by the face plate before slamming him into the railing hard enough to leave a dent.  Cavalier slunk down and remained still for a moment.

“One of these days, I’d like to see what happens when you don’t have armor to protect you,” Mano said snidely.  He brought his heel down, but his ankle was soon caught.  The Cavalier pulled him in close and drove his armored knuckles into Mano’s bullet wound.  Mano fell to the catwalk and doubled-over as a pained wheezing sound escaped his lips.  “Won’t be today,” Cavalier told him before rising to his feet, grabbing him by the back of his shirt, and shoving him toward the railing.

“You know your plan failed, right?” Cavalier strode forward as Mano leaned against the railing in pain, “Even with all the assassins you spent money on, and the stupid competition you set up, none of your targets died.  It was a failure,” he punched Mano’s face and he rolled along the railing and tried to regain balance.  “But you and your boss still have blood on your hands, innocent people caught up in your schemes,”  Cavalier pressed his arm against Mano’s back, driving him into the railing, causing more pain.  “I told Nadie to leave the city! I told him what was going to happen if he didn’t!”  Cavalier pulled Mano back, dropping him onto the catwalk. “You should’ve left it alone and now, you’re gonna go away for a long time,” Cavalier stood over him triumphantly, “It’ll probably be a while before you hear the news, so I’ll tell what’s gonna happen now.  I’m gonna go all the way back to your island.  I’m gonna find your boss.  The entire operation?  It’s gone.  Nadie could’ve cut you loose and stayed home, but he had to push his luck.  I gave him fair warning.  He didn’t listen.  His empire’s gonna fall and I want you to think about that while sitting alone in that cell.  I want it to eat away at you, knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it.”

Just then, the Horseman snuck up behind Cavalier, grabbing his legs before dumping him over the railings where he fell onto some crates below.  Mano pulled himself up, further down the catwalk and noticed a chain running down from a pulley with a hook at the end.  He took the hook in his hand and wrapped the chain around his fist before beckoning to the Horseman.  The Horseman was breathing heavy and was obviously exhausted, but he found the strength to rush toward him. Mano threw a punch with the chain still firmly around his fist.  The impact slammed the Horseman against the railing; then Mano wrapped the chain around his neck, securing it with the hook before pushing him over the rails where he was hanged.

The Horseman dangled over the warehouse floor, his feet kicking as he struggled to breathe.  A grappling line shot up once more and the Cavalier flew through the air with a battle-axe in his hand.  The axe sliced the chain in half and the Horseman fell to the floor.  When the Cavalier climbed over the railing and onto the catwalk, he looked back to check on the Horseman.  He lay on the floor, stirring and breathing, but unconscious.  It was enough.

Outside, at the end of the pier, Mano waited for an approaching speed boat, driven by a man that had been paid a large sum of money to transport him back to Costa Triste. He was breathing heavily and blood stained his shirt. The Cavalier ran out of the exit and used his Round-Table to summon his crossbow and took aim, ready to fire an electric arrow.  Mano saw this, but was in too much pain to do much more than wait for the inevitable. Cavalier noted that, for once, Mano looked nervous.

And then, a shadowy figure leapt into view.  The Cavalier was sure he hadn’t been hit.  Or at least, there was no physical contact.  The white glove moved as if throwing a punch, but at the last second, it opened up and an invisible force struck from the side.  The Cavalier was thrown to the ground and the electric arrow flew into the sky.  He could barely stand as it was and this blow was the last straw.  Cavalier lost consciousness for several seconds and when he came to, he saw a man dressed all in white with an equally white mask that only revealed his eyes.  On the man’s forehead, there appeared to be a symbol like the rising sun.  “It’s unfortunate.  I finally get the chance to meet you and you have no fight left,” he heard a voice say from beneath the mask.  The mysterious figure turned and left, his goal now met.  Mano was gone.  The boat was disappearing on the horizon.

 At the entrance to the warehouse, the Horseman’s FBI handlers dragged him to the car parked nearby.  “Just help me get him in the car and then take his bike someplace,” Agent Calvin complained, “I don’t know how to ride that thing.” Agent Hobbs nodded silently.

Police swarmed the area soon after, led by Commissioner Reins who had just returned to the city.  The Cavalier sat on the pier with his back to the outer wall. He couldn’t stand. He could only look out at the dark waters.

“He got away, huh?” Reins asked as he sat down next to him.

“Yup,” the Cavalier said quietly.

“But you saved me, Emily and everyone else and that counts for something.  It’s bittersweet, but it’s a victory.  Most of the hitmen are gone or arrested and the Horseman didn’t kill his main target. That’s important.”

“You’re probably right, but I’m just so exhausted right now.  In every way.”

“I heard you’ve been influencing old superheroes to take the City Council seats.”

“I didn’t inspire anyone.”

“They disagree.  I’ve been telling you, man, you’re changing the city.  It’s New York again and you’re in charge of the place.”

“I wish I had your optimism.”

“I’m just being realistic.  You don’t got an office or anything but you put yourself through hell to get us out of Shit-Town, and people are noticing.  They’ll be paying attention to you, following your lead.  Like it or not, you’re King of New York.”

One week later…

In front of City Hall, Danny Slade gave his first speech as the newly-elected mayor of New York.  “And I wanna thank everyone who not only believed in me, but believed in this city,” he said to an applauding crowd, “Now that we’re getting a new City Council, I’m sure that I’ll have plenty of support going forward.  And, of course, I know the Cavalier is out there somewhere, keeping us safe.”  This drew even more applause.  Over the cheering crowd, Danny shouted, “Let’s dare to be optimistic!”  

In another part of town, Emily Koboshi happily watched David Tyrell train Jayden and Yolanda at their new dojo.  She held onto a cane, satisfied in knowing she’d stand on her own soon enough.  She dialed a code into her phone and waited to go through to an encrypted communication system.

“Hey, Emily,” the Cavalier answered.

“Hey, yourself.  You okay?  I kinda thought I’d see you by now.”

“Sorry.  I’ve been taking care of a few things.”

“Yeah, well,” she grew a but quieter, “It’d be nice to see you.  Y’know, after everything.”

“It’d be nice to see you, too.  It would.”

“But?”

“What I do next… it’s not New York-based.”

She became concerned, “Where are you going?”

“I know you’ll be pissed, but please understand that this is something that I can’t involve you in.  It’s too dangerous.”

“You know, you don’t have to do this… Whatever it is.  Everyone in the city loves you.  You can just stay here and help out like you’ve been doing.”

“Trust me, it may not seem like it, but I’m helping the city.”

She began to say something and stopped before starting again, “Okay,… I trust you.”

“I, uh,…And I trust you, too… to look after the Knights.”

“Yeah, of course,” she said with a smile that was bittersweet, “Someone’s gotta do it.”

“I’ll see again.  Real soon.”

“You better.”

At Arthur Hawkwood’s house, Mariah Jones sat at the kitchen table with plates of food.  She curiously checked her phone while Arthur paced. “Any word from Mike?” she asked. “I’m sure he’s coming,” just then, Arthur received a text message.  He stopped to consider the text, then turned to Mariah with a smile that hid his concern, “Nevermind.  He got caught up in work.  He said we can start without him.”

Approaching the coast, the Dragon shot through the air.  Its destination – Costa Triste.

Somewhere else, a wall stood with graffiti that said “Welcome to Shit-Town”.  A worker came to scrub it clean.

End of The Shit-Town Saga