Part 51 (1/2)
His head whipped around. It was Lucy, coming out of the cabin. All the men turned to see her standing outside of the cabin.
Even Pain.
”Oh, baby,” he growled through a mouthful of teeth shards.
Tony's attention flicked back from Lucy to Pain and from Pain to Lucy, again. Feelings of rage erupted within him as he pointed his hatchet at Pain. ”You can f.u.c.k off right now, man, and maybe we'll let you live.”
A hoa.r.s.e bark of laughter came from Pain, and he eyed Lucy as best as he could. It was enough for her to back up towards the open door of the cabin.
”Tony, we need you!” Lucy cried out again. ”Now!”
He nodded. ”Guys,” Tony said.
”Go, man,” Danny said, keeping an eye on Pain. ”We got you here.”
”Keep him busy!” Tony told the three.
In answer, Crew was already moving to Pain's left. The Stickman summoned up his invisible s.h.i.+elds just like Ninja Bill had taught him. He only wished Ninja Bill were with him for this fight. The Stickman did not wish for Badger to be with him.
Badger was s.h.i.+tty at fighting.
Taking a last look at the three men, Tony turned and hoofed it back. Pain watched him go and his smile faltered just a bit.
”We're still here, man,” Danny informed him, raising his bat. ”It's okay. We're just gonna talk this out, okay?” The Stickman was on his left now, and Crew was on his right. Danny was in the middle looking at a man he realized was bigger than him.
”You with me, Crew?” Danny asked of his recent partner.
”Sure am,” Crew answered. His eyes zeroed in on Pain.
Danny had no doubt there. ”Stickman?”
”I'se 'ere.”
”You ain't gonna f.u.c.k us up now?”
The Stickman regarded the man with such an insulted look that made Danny almost regret posing the question. Almost.
”Alright, then,” Danny said loud enough for all to hear. ”Let's get this last man standing s.h.i.+t on the road.”
Pain watched the three advancing on him with blood stained eyes, and bared the remains of b.l.o.o.d.y teeth.
”Yeah,” Crew said. ”Well. f.u.c.k you, too.”
Under a dark blue sky just about to burst at the edges with sun, the bouncer, the hit man and the ex-prisoner raised their weapons and closed the distance between themselves and their foe.
Chapter 72.
The men were just about to engage the monster when Tony once again crossed over the threshold of the cabin's wrecked entrance and marched over to Death lying on the couch. His mouth hung open, and Tony thought he didn't look well at all. The man-or whatever he was-had come a long way from the deserted golf course where they had first met.
”f.u.c.k you lookin' at?” Death quipped at him.
Tony's mouth dropped open. ”What the f.u.c.k? Are you high?”
”I am...” Death paused for effect. ”The black sun of the universe. The black matter of existence. The last stuff you'll ever see. Thanatos, himself. The Omega man. And yes, I am as stoned as all f.u.c.k.”
Tony looked to Lucy. She shrugged.
”Aren't you supposed to kill yourself?” Tony demanded.
”Couldn't do it,” Death snapped back. ”Too G.o.dd.a.m.n full of life!”
The confusion on Tony's face was as clear as the rising sun outside.
”He tried, Tony,” Lucy spoke up, ”but the morphine wasn't enough for him. It just got him stoned. He couldn't die from it. You have to do it.”
Tony blinked in horror.
”Kill me!” Death burst out. ”Take me out. f.u.c.k me over. No... wait on that last one...”
”I can't kill him!” Tony insisted.
”You were hacking up people a while ago!” Death pointed out.
”Lucy!” Tony pleaded.
”Look, I'd do it for you,” Death said quietly in a suddenly sincere voice. The switch made Tony stare at him in confusion.
”Tony, look here,” Death said, sincerity dispensed with, ”listen, you are the only one here that I trust with the job. The only one. Freddie over there can't do it. He's balless. And Lucy is Lucy. You, now, you're special. I see that now. Took a while, but I do. You convinced me to go back with that rant of yours. Just take that axe and plant it right here,” he tapped his forehead with a finger. ”And I mean really f.u.c.king clap me with it. You have to. Anything less, and he'll be here to really f.u.c.k me over. And you have to do it now.”
”Lucy,” Tony said, ”I can't do this.”
”You're the only one,” Lucy explained. ”The others are fighting Pain. He can't be allowed to get to Frank. If he does, he'll never let him die and this world will be plunged into a deathless existence. ”
”And other s.h.i.+t, too,” Death threw in, eyes gla.s.sy.
The thought did nothing to motivate Tony. He looked down at the defenceless and quite stoned Death, and shook his head.
”Why couldn't you just die back at the car wreck, then?” Tony persisted. ”If this was the way things had to be, why didn't you just go then?”
”Couldn't. Wouldn't,” Death said simply. ”Wasn't enough of a flight for that. Didn't quite do the job. Bottom line, I'm ready now. Ready to go back to work. You have to send me over. I can't cross over in this suit,” Death touched his chest. ”Doesn't work that way. You're the one to kill me. What are you worried about? Your soul or something? A fear of G.o.d? Listen, who do you think I work for? It's o-kay, G.o.ddammit! Just do it! And do it before that a.s.shole out there gets a hold of me.”
”The guys will take care of him,” Tony muttered.