Post by Donzig on Jul 18, 2022 20:32:48 GMT -5
I
It was a quiet summer night, and a half finished building rose against the city’s lights. It even had of all things an airship moored to the top it. But at the moment all eyes were on the massive looking black truck barreling towards the gates of the chain link fence around the site. Including the eyes of the two hulking brutes dressed as clowns known as Hahaha and Hehehe.
Hah Hah looked up, eyes widening as the truck seemed to gather steam. “Ha ha.’
‘Heh Heh.’ said the other.
The truck blasted through the gate and it rolled across the two, sending them flying before it ground to a halt. The door to the truck opened, and a figure draped in a long hooded coat got out. Donzig dragged out a hammer, and he sighed before he walked over to swing it back over his head for three huge blows on Hahaha .
‘You know what I like about you boys? I don’t have to hold back.’
Donzig shook off the hammer, and then swung it backwards to crack it across the skull of the rising Hehehe. Then he paused as another clown stepped from the shadows, pausing to adjust a monocle on his face.
‘Ah, Donzig. The Mistress told me you would show up eventually.’
The masked head tilted, and a breath hissed from behind it.
‘Sir Monocle, your mistress should have told you to stay out of my way. If you value your life, be somewhere else.’
Sir Monocle shrugged his shoulders, absently tugging on a pair of gloves as he walked closer. He shook his head, flashing a faint smile before he let a bundle slide from his shoulder to roll it across the ground to Donzig’s feet.
‘You know that I can’t do that. But I have heard that you are quite the fencer, a duelist if you will. I scoffed, but the rumors are true. They say you prefer an epee grip.’
Monocle drew a sword, slashing the air with the thin blade as he dropped into a fencer’s stance. A painted eyebrow arching, and Donzig sniffed.
‘Your funeral.’
The Scourge’s foot flicked out, and the blade leapt from the unwrapped bundle to be caught in his hand. And with startling speed Donzig lunged forward, his blade stabbing at Monocle who was forced backwards. The clown looked startled, being forced to twist away as he parried two of the thrusts before he circled around.
Sir Monocle was forced to dive aside again as the sword slashed at his side, nearly falling as he dropped the sword to parry another hard stroke from Donzig. The Scourge eyes were impassive behind his mask, and Monocle shivered.
He lifted his own sword catching the downward stroke of Donzig’s, and he twisted away before he launched is flurry of offense. Donzig stepped back a step, his own blade whirling as he batted aside thrust and after thrust with lazy ease. The Scourge dropped back another step, and then he came forward his own sword battering away at Monocle’s with showers of sparks. Then he allowed a thrust, but his blade twisted to trap it as he gave a hard spin of his wrist.
Monocle’s sword clattered across the cement, and he stepped forward only to halt when a naked blade was laid across his throat. Blood blossomed, and Donzig growled from behind the mask.
‘I am Death in High Places. The Scourge. The War that Walks. I bring Oblivion to this world, and you thought to play at swords with me, clown?’
Monocle swallowed.
The sword slashed, and Monocle dropped to the earth grabbing at his neck as blood boiled from between his fingers. Donzig stabbed the sword into his side, and then shrugged as he walked towards the building with a song on his lips.
II
‘I think that is close enough, Mein Freund.’ said Armand Von Krauss as he turned with his drink in hand, a faint smile on his lips as he saw the black clad form of Donzig standing a circle of his guards. The men all had guns drawn on the Scourge, who said nothing as he watched them from behind his mask. ‘I didn’t think you would just stroll in here, and make it so easy. Didn’t you even consider this could be a trap? Or didn’t you care?’
Armand waved them away, and one of them held out a Luger to him. Armand looked it over, nodding slowly before he sat it on the table. ‘Always the classics with you, eh? I expect nothing less, for a creature of Chaos you are sometimes predictable.’
The guards slowly disappeared from the room, glancing at Donzig who shrugged at them before looking back to Armand. He sniffed, and slowly reached up to remove his mask before he stared at Armand with empty eyes.
‘You know why I am here, Armand. Death in High Places will not be denied, the Void has whispered your name.’
‘Has it? But do you know why you are here, Donzig? You and I were once friends which is why I will let you leave here, I owe you that much.’
A hiss.
‘Very kind, Armand.’
Armand smiled, and sat down in his leather chair as he sipped at his drink.
‘You are not mad because Esmeralda betrayed you, a man like you is used to betrayal. You are only loyal to what you own, Donzig. You are a creature of betrayal.’
Donzig waved a hand.
‘Ah, yes. The Scourge a man who loves to speak about himself can not bear others to talk of him. You are alone, Donzig. You cut off everyone who ever cared about you besides your minions, the only people you allow close to you? Are the people you control. Who do you have since you turned on me? On Soutter?’
Armand sipped at his drink, smacking his lips before he shrugged.
‘Esmeralda saw that, and she used it to get inside. She saw you as the lonely motherless boy that you are inside, a creature utterly alone and unloved.’
‘I have a mother, Armand.’ Donzig growled, and Armand shook his head.
‘Donzig has a mother, the Scourge does not.’ A smile, and he leaned forward. ‘You are mad that Esmeralda did what no one else in XHF has done, what no one can do. What no Pillars, or Bastards, or even Fox could do.’
Donzig’s hand tightened into a fist, and Armand watched him.
‘She hurt you. She caused Great Donzig pain.’
Donzig looked away, and Armand saw rage boil inside of those cold dead eyes. His fingers tightened, knuckles popping as he gritted his teeth. The Scourge shook, and then he spat before he looked back to Armand with a snarl.
‘I will–’
‘Oh, I have no doubt you will bring all your rage, your hatred, and your powers down on Esmeralda. She has never doubted you or your gifts, mein Freund. But none of that matters, she made you feel something, and then she hurt you.’
Donzig stared, and then he lifted a hand to drag his hand across his mouth before he shrugged.
‘Maybe you’re right, Armand. But that doesn’t mean I am finished with Esmeralda.’
Donzig turned, and he pulled out his mask as he headed for the door. He said nothing, and he slowly pulled the mask down across his features once more. Armand laughed, watching him go before he walked over to the window.
Then he paused as his phone rang, he lifted it slowly.
‘Yes?”
‘Sir, we found something on the floor under your penthouse. We think–’
Armand’s eyes widened.
III
Fire blossomed across the night and pieces of brick and mortar rained down on the construction site as the building leaned sideways. Fire roared through it’s upper windows and empty walls, and another small blast shuddered through it.
Smoke swirled, and through the burning haze Donzig watched as the airship broke away from the moorings. It was damaged but still functional, and he grunted as he lifted his own phone as the fire leapt from the roof of the half finished building.
‘He’s on the ship, you and the boys know what to do. Esmeralda stole from me, she let the fucking Pillars take what is rightfully mine! And now I will steal from her, I will make her suffer for what she has done.’
Donzig lowered the phone, jabbing the button to end the call before he walked around the truck. He dragged two gas cans from it, and shook his head before he started to pour the contents onto the piled up clowns.
‘I am sure these toys will come back, Esmeralda. But not in time to help you, not in time to help Armand. Because soon you will learn that in the Fall, even immortals can long for death.’