Henry Rider: Clown Hunter

Chapter Thirty One

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Chapter Thirty One

Five minutes. It took Legion five minutes to defeat the greatest Hunter alive.

"Hen...ry..." McGus moaned quietly from the floor. He reached for me with one feeble, shaking hand. "You have...to fight...it."

I raised Splatsy one more time and brought it down on his head with a gruesome THUD. He slumped to the floor — dead, or just unconscious? Dear whoopie cushion in the sky, I hoped he wasn't dead.

Legion wasn't about to let me check for a pulse, though. Putting Splatsy back in my belt, I snatched the Escher Cube off the floor and marched out onto the streets of Mauldibamm. My whole body ached. I was even limping a little. McGus had fought like a wild animal, but in the end he had fallen to Legion just like I had. Inside my head, I was crying. Seeing the strongest klaon I knew lying broken on the floor like one of his mannequins would haunt my dreams forever.

I'm sorry, Master, I wept silently. All he'd ever wanted was to keep my stupid butt alive, and this was how I repaid him. Suddenly, every biting remark I'd ever made, every rebellious stunt I'd pulled, burned me from the inside out. I'm so...so...sorry.

But this wasn't over yet. Legion turned me around, and my eyes sought out the Grand Lark. Raising the Cube, I gave it a quick spin. Mauldibamm twisted out of existence around me, and then popped immediately back into focus, dropping me right outside the Grand Lark's doors.

"You can stop right there," Ombo said, moving to block my way inside.

Clombo joined him. "Your friends just got here. Told us you'd gone crazy."

Legion didn't respond. Pulling Splatsy from my belt, I extended her again. A troubled look crossed their faces when they saw the green blood that coated her.

"Went an' murdered the old man, eh?" Clombo asked.

"The job finally sent her over the deep end," added Ombo.

I took a step forward, and the twins pulled out nightclubs. Idiots. They knew I'd just beaten McGus, and they still thought they stood any chance against me? Part of me wanted to see these creeps get what they deserved. But not like this. Not when they were all that separated Legion from my friends.

"Come on," Ombo challenged me, eyes gleaming with cruelty. "Gimme an excuse."

Clombo smacked the palm of his hand with his stick. "We've wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time."

Just turn around and go, I begged, knowing it wouldn't do any good. Please.

"You scared?"

"Of course she's scared! She's a Blue!"

"A worthless little Blue!"

"Stupid!"

"Weak!"

"Pathetic!"

"An embarrassment to—"

I hurled Splatsy into Clombo's face, cutting him off mid-insult. He flew backwards, hitting his head against the sturdy wooden door, and collapsed.

Ombo froze, his mouth hanging open in shock. "Y- You...You can't—"

I was moving before he had a chance to react. Darting forward, I grabbed Splatsy off the ground, whirled around, and slammed her into Ombo's leg. He fell with a cry of pain, and I raised Splatsy as high as I could, ready to smash his head just like I'd done to so many maiams. Desperately, he lashed out at me with his club, a blow that could have easily shattered my shinbones. Instead, I kicked him in the wrist. His fist unclenched, flinging the nightstick out across the Grand Lark's lawn.