The Peacekeepers

Part Two; Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Warm Up

"Did you just strike the mighty Russel Hughes?" Dude, shut up! You're really getting on my last nerves!

"I wouldn't say mighty. Dumbassed? Yes. Mighty? No." His face kept getting redder and redder. His breathing got heavier and faster. "Fuck you!" He shouted. "You little shit! I'll make you suffer like the big nosed dirty Jew!"

In an instant my heart dropped like a sack of bricks. I looked around frantically looking for Gideon. Then I saw him... The blood on his face and his shirt. His massive chest, unmoving and sunk in. My friend... murdered. Killed by this retarded asshole. One of the greatest fighters and best men I had ever met killed in cold blood.

I looked back at Russel. My heart was on fire with hate and rage. I take my stance, ready to avenge my fallen brother in arms.

"I gave you a chance! I gave you a chance to leave this place, to walk away! Now, you're all mine!"

"Now this is what I'm talking about!" He said as he began to approach me.

I need to end this quickly. Ren, I hope your training won't fail me now. I tried to focus. I tensed my body up. My breathing was perfectly controlled and my heart beat like war drums thumping in my ears. I tensed up the muscles in my fist. I'm not used to this in the least bit. I can feel the strain on my heart. The pain is excruciating but I have to ignore it. Russel gets closer and closer to me. I stand my ground against him without fear.

"I'll tell ya what." He says. "I'll let you fight a bit before I end your life. You get one free shot at me." He stands in front of me laughing. I'm ending this right now.

"As you wish!" I shout.

I step forward and uppercut him in the sternum, driving my fist deep into his body. His body trembles. The laughing stops abruptly. His face completely drains color. A silence falls among everyone there. All that can be heard is the fire crackling in the background and breathing from the spectators. Once my fist made impact I felt bones crack and break from the sheer force of the hit. His face twitches.

The silence lasted around five seconds until in was broken first by a pain filled wimper that slowly rose into a horrid, pained scream from Russel. I look him in the eye and sneer at him.

"How does it feel Russel?" I ask through gritted teeth. "How does it feel knowing you're at the mercy of someone far superior to you in every way? You know how it feels to be powerless! That pain you're feeling? That's for Gideon you bastard."

I pulled my fist from his sternum. He drops to his hands and knees and vomits at my feet from the pain and the fact that I probably deflated his stomach. He's shaking and sweating... pathetic.

My fist clenches harder.

"I should kill you." I say just barely loud enough for him to hear me. Then I explode with rage. "I should fucking kill you! I should show you how it feels to have your life taken against your will! To make you suffer like you've caused others to suffer! I could effortlessly kill you right here!" He looks up at me. His animal eyes are filled with tears and terror, I barely see a human anymore, but an animal. A killer with a bloodlust. I almost felt bad for him. He sacrificed his humanity for power. I almost can't hate him anymore.

"Please," he begins to plead me. "Don't kill me. I'm begging you... Please..." My teeth mash together in a fit of anger. I lift him up to my face by his shirt and slam my forehead into his nose collapsing it in on itself. His head snaps back and he shouts in pain. I pull him back and punch him across the face.

"Don't you dare fucking beg me for anything! Don't you dare! Motherfucker!" I punch him again, this time I take a few teeth with it. I let go and he's barely able to sit up on his own power. I take a step back, twist myself around and send my heel flying across his cheekbone. It sends him sliding across the grass. He's out cold but I'm gonna wake him back up.

I walk over to his unconscious body. So strong but so damned weak. Without hesitation I stomp the back of his calves. The first one simply breaks which is followed by a horrendous scream. I wait a moment and stomp the other one harder. The bone snaps out of the skin and he squeals in agony.

"You can never fight again. When you heal up and spend up to your dying day limping you will remember me with every step you take." I was done with him. I turn to address the Crimson Squad, who paid little attention to their comrade's severe ass kicking. Only two were looking at me, the rest of them were looking down at Russel. No shock or sympathy or... anything really. Emotionless tools of death and mayhem. I clear my throat to get their attention and they look right at me in unison, which to be quite honest creeped me out a bit.

Each one had dirty, casual clothes on and the same tattoo as the first one we encountered. The bright red capital "C" on their right cheeks. Their bodies looked heavily scarred, especially their knuckles and elbows. I cringe to think of what the extent of their scaring under their shirts is. But their eyes... their cold, lifeless, dark tinged eyes will always haunt me in my nightmares.

"Take your wounded and leave this place. Do not come back. Leave in peace and never let me see your ugly faces again! This is your last warning!"

One of them defiantly cracks his neck with a smirk on his face. "Are you honestly ordering the mighty Crimson Squad around small fry?" A chuckle slips out when he said that.

"Small fry? Really? Last time I checked this wasn't the nineties. Take your wounded man and leave." I respond to them.

They immediately began to surround me. Their boots crackling the ground they stepped on, walking casually around me. I took my stance and looked around and was able to identify most of their fighting styles. Saw some Boxing, Muay Thai, Silat and a few others I couldn't recognize.

I'm in for the fight of my life. Bring it on...