Wither With Me

CHAPTER 55 - CLASH

His taste buds drowned with the taste of blood. Was it his own? His opponent's? Did it matter? No. Landing another blow was the only thing that mattered.

William spat out another gob of spit and blood, and threw his right punch at Jacobs' face. He managed to block it, but the impact was strong enough to stagger him. Again, this time with his left. Jacobs reacted faster than him, and his punch shook William's head from top to bottom.

He couldn't slow down. If he did, he felt like he would collapse at any moment.

They grabbed each other, and Jacobs' knee sunk into his stomach, and his fist crashed against Jacobs' chin, and they collided with the office furniture, and they attempted to strangle each other; like animals, entangled in a savage brawl, blow after blow.

A new tremor coursed through the tower, stronger than the previous ones, making them stumble and lose their balance. Each one rolled in a different direction, interrupting the fight for a brief moment.

Still on the floor, William had a strange feeling. Was it a slight tilt, or was it his mind playing tricks on him? Some small objects slid along tables and fell to the ground all over the office. It wasn't his imagination. The building was tilting sideways.

"Fuck, I love it..." mumbled Jacobs, some meters away, using a chair as support to stand back up.

He couldn't remain on the floor. He couldn't give that motherfucker the slightest advantage. William jumped back up and observed his opponent.

"Do you hear them screaming down there, man? Do you feel how it's all falling apart? Do you feel the sweat on your forehead, the pain in your bones? The taste of blood in your mouth? Pure adrenalin! Without law, without order, without any of that bullshit!" as he talked, a sickening grin appeared on his face. "I missed this crap so much."

All of a sudden, he decided to start blabbering? William continued observing, and waiting. Despite all the chattering, Jacobs wasn't distracted at all. He kept his posture, and his eyes were fixated on William, and on every single movement he made. One could almost say his monologue was effective, it was driving him nuts.

"Are you gonna stay quiet?" he added. "I thought you'd at least bark some mo-"

"Go fuck yourself. You're insane." neither William's words nor his tone were able to express his resentment towards that man.

"Insane? Insane!? Shit, of course I am!" he let out a snicker.

'Shut the fuck up.'

"You know, William...? You've been a fucking pain in the ass since you crossed ways with me. You've got me pissed off as all hell, you have no idea."

"Why won't you shut up...? I don't wanna hear you!'

"And now that you're here in front of me, I'll-"

Another tremor. Books, folders, and other objects fell from shelves and tables, and Jacobs staggered again. William dove towards him without hesitating.

Entwined in a violent hold, they continued stumbling and crashing against the furniture in the room, exchanging blow after blow. They panted, growled, shouted. Why did it look like Jacobs was enjoying it?

"Come on...! Come on...!!" he screamed, before receiving a punch to the jaw and giving it back to William in the face. "Keep going...!! You got anything else!?"

A powerful kick to William's chest sent him flying backwards, over some tables, until he dropped down at the other side. With his head spinning, he saw light a few feet away from his face. He had fallen quite close to the outer wall, which had fallen apart in its entirety. A column of smoke and ash ascended towards the heights, behind which the city's panorama could be discerned.