Stu stood in front of Sterling, watching the guy that just talked him up and now wanted a duel to the death. Making his move he rushed towards Sterling. They clashed, with Stu hitting him as hard as he could with his shoulder and Sterling barely moving only to catch him instead. Raising a fist high Sterling slammed it into Stu’s collarbone breaking his grip on sterling.

  Sterling jumped into the air spinning, catching Stu on the side of the head with a kick, and flipping him onto his back. Grabbing Stu up before he could regain his motor-skills, he threw him into a kiosk collapsing it on the sidewalk.

  Rolling over in the rubble his vision was completely blue. Pushing rubble off of him, he stood up. Taking his glasses off they had his blood all over them. Stu looked over at Sterling saying, “Time-out.”

  Sterling said, “Time-out?”

  Stu said, “These are my backup glasses, I already broke my main pair yesterday. Mind if I set these off to the side so they don’t get broken.

  Sterling relaxed his posture, “Go ahead, I can wait a minute.”

  Stu ran a hundred yards over to a table and put his phone and glasses on it. Running back to where he’d been, he said, “Alright, time-in.”

  Sterling took his fighting stance again. “I’m surprised that wasn’t a trick to gain an advantage.”

  Stu rolled his shoulders trying to ready himself, “I have seen you on TV, you always seemed respectful. I figured if what you said a while ago was true, you’d let me put my glasses in a safe place. In exchange for all the respect I was honest.”

  Sterling said, “Sixty-five minimum.”

  Confused Stu asked, “What?”

  Sterling smiled, “Your odds of winning in my opinion are 65%.”

  Stu wiped the blood off of his face saying, “Here I come then..”

  Rushing he stopped just short of where Sterling expected, causing him to counterattack the air. Stu caught him with a punch to the face and then a kick to the side of the knee, which sterling caught bringing his elbow down on Stu’s knee. A loud cracking sound reverberated through the street followed by Stu yelling out in pain. Sterling spun him by the injured leg, letting him go when he threw him into another kiosk.

  Stu coughed blood simply from the amount of pain he’d just suffered. The rubble was ripped off Stu. Sterling removed more debris while saying, “You are a worthy opponent, I’m just a league above you. I’m going to make it quick and respectable, so don’t fear your death. It will be a good death, a perfect death, the kind I would want.” He cleared his way to Stu, picking him up by the collar.

  Stu waited until Sterling lifted him out all the way before taking two pens and driving them into Sterling’s forearms, when he was released and dropped on his feet he charged, hitting Sterling repeatedly with pens, using them like daggers. Every time one broke or exploded he retrieved another from the box in his pocket. Splitting open any appendage he dared block with, Sterling found himself on the back foot while Stu advanced on him.

  Wielding the pens like weapons he had mastered; he used the last one as he drove it into the palm of sterling’s hand while he blocked attacks. When the last pen broke Stu threw a punch, Sterling met the attack with a punch as well. Stu’s hand shattered under the pressure. He stumbled backwards from the pain. His hand was like a wet sock now. He grunted in extreme pain.

  Sterling pulled the pen out of his palm grunting slightly. He asked, “Where did the pen attack come from? Don’t tell me, is that your power? What do you call it, Chaos jab? Oh, I know the chaos case, or the many colors of chaos?”

  Stu looked at the insane man, and said, “No… I used to buy all my office supplies at that kiosk; I just grabbed them when I was being dug out.” He held his wrist while keeping his hand still.

  Sterling said, “Oh. Yeah, I could see that. Well, I guess back to it then. How are you going to fight with your hand like that?”

  Stu only knew one thing to do, he saw it on EFC1, when they didn’t have rules. Once he saw a fighter shatter his hand in a prior fight and still win the next fight. His hand had been in just as bad of a condition. It was a long shot but trying beats dying. The sweat dripped off his brow, and he took a deep breath. He steeled himself taking an offensive position, charging sterling Stu let him take a swing or two before seeing an opening. He jumped at him, using his good arm to wrap around Sterling’s neck, and using his arm with the bad hand he drew his elbow back. Driving it into Sterling’s face over and over again, the blue went everywhere. He didn’t have a specific target, he just kept striking everywhere; Sterling tried to get him unwrapped, but he’d got his legs wrapped around Sterling’s waist as well. Struggling to throw Stu off he ran into a telephone pole with Stu in between. This forced him to finally break his grip falling to the ground, Sterling fell to the ground too. His face was badly bloodied.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Sterling spit mouthfuls of blue blood on the ground before getting up, and grabbing a still injured Stu and throwing him through a window of a store. Kicking in the door he grabbed Stu throwing him through the wall into the bakery next door. Grabbing him from the ground again, he threw Stu into a wall twice before he went through, bouncing off with a loud metal thud the first time. Finding Stu on the ground again he picked him up slamming him into a wall while holding him in place. He punched Stu repeatedly until he coughed up blood. Sterling said, “Your one tough bastard!” He was breathing extremely hard.

  Stu smelled something foul, what was that? Oh, he knew what that was… Looking at Sterling he asked, “Dude, did you fart?” A clicking sound rang out repeatedly almost like an old clock, but louder.

  Sterling said, “That isn’t a fart, it’s natural gas, dumbass.” Stu smiled, blood fell out of his mouth. The clicking sound continued, Sterling saw the smile and asked, “what?” Stew was barely able to move his neck, but he glanced downward. They were in a bakery kitchen and Stu had his hand against the dial for a gas stove. The auto lite was going click-click-click. Stu looked back at Sterling and kept smiling through the blood. Sterling let go and a bright white light filled the entirety of Market Street on a sunny day. A shock wave followed, and fires ignited across the block.

  The several buildings that had filled with gas had mostly blown their tops leaving the bases more intact. Sterling barely walked out of the inferno, clothing shredded, blue covered the majority of him. He fell to his knees looking back at the inferno.

  Stu came stumbling out nearby falling to the ground. Both were almost completely destroyed. Stu held his left arm together at the shoulder, the hand closest to the ignition point. There was hardly any blood due to it being burned severely. He looked at Sterling still on his knees, watching him as well.

  Sterling said, “It’s almost over now buddy, ready to finish this? He reached behind him revealing a dagger. Stu recognized a similar design to the other god daggers. Stu wasn’t sure his arm would hold on without support, but he had to fight. Standing up and almost falling over. Stu pulled out Prosperity’s dagger. Sterling said, “Nice, I’ll bet under better circumstances we could’ve been friends. just so you know I only have one left in me, after this you win.”

  Stu said, “Yeah, I was going to say that too.” He spit a mouthful of blood on the ground. He didn’t know if praying would work, but he gave a silent prayer asking for Chaos to forgive him.” A rush of energy hit him out of nowhere. Not much, but enough, maybe it was a shot of adrenaline before he died. He couldn’t tell right now.

  Sterling said, “Ready… Set.. Go!” he jumped from his knees and charged Stu aiming for his heart.

  Stu let go of his limp arm, rushing at Sterling, aiming for his heart as well.

  As the two approached, just before they made contact with each other, Silence arrived seeing that they would both die in this attack. With Chaos hot on her heels, the only thing she could do was try to go for it, and she made her move.

  Chaos showed up a nano second behind Silence, seeing her lunging for Stu, pulling her dagger and making her decision, a kill shot for Silence.

  Stu aimed for Sterling’s heart, Sterling aimed for Stu’s heart, Chaos went for a b-line to intercept and kill Silence. Silence was the one that chose to protect Sterling by taking the attack she saw coming, she impacted Sterling causing him to turn putting Silence between the two men. Sterling missed his attack.

  Stu found a mark, as his dagger drove into Silences heart, Chaos impacted the group, her blade found Sterling’s back and into his heart. The two daggers pierced the God and her worshipper at the exact right moment to go through each other and meeting between the two. With all of them colliding in such a highspeed collision, Stu and Chaos bounced off of the other two. Getting back to their feet they watched.

  Sterling was on his knees with Silence in his arms, the blue and crimson intertwined with each other as the colors spilled on the street. They were both dying, sterling looked at Stu saying, “Perfect, death.” He got up shaky and turned walking away. Making it only about four steps before he stalled. Sliding to his knees, Silence reached up to his lips and said, “Shh..” He slouched limp over her.

  Chaos and Stu stood there, daggers in hand, blood dripping off of them as they just stood there looking at Silence and Sterling limp on the street. Neither of them said anything, because neither knew what to say.

  Tom and Prosperity sat on a nearby rooftop watching, Tom asked, “Did you do what I asked of you?”

  Prosperity said, “Yes.”

  Tom asked, “Did you interfere in the tournament after I told you not to?”

  She said, “No, how could I? I was with you the whole time.”

  Tom said, “Fine, your suspension is lifted. Don’t think I believe you though. I have to clean up a Code: Hydra so I don’t have time to check your story.” He walked away heading for the fire escape.

  The battle on Market Street has come to an end. Final report - Death toll: 132 – Injured: 72 - Gods involved: Chaos vs Silence – Victor: Chaos – Projected winner under normal conditions: Silence - Report filed in: Godly Sushi District - Battlefield notes: property damage in excess of 200 million USD, major gas line ruptured and ignited, cleanup and recovery; Recommendations passed on to GSD Rep. Tom; Insisted supervision request #2 - Enforcers dispatched: Code Hydra – Situation Uncontained: see code hydra – End Report.

  Code Hydra: (a) Uncontainable events, mass casualties, and/or survivors of disaster. Enforcers to disperse then contain and eliminate information at all costs. Money will usually work; other methods and resources may be approved by judges.

  (b) Extra information resources to be deployed in field if steward is involved.

  (c) If incorrect actions occur during tournament a code hydra can be declared, allows immediate information resources to be accessed. Deploys extra resources to suspected incident.