Cover source

Warning: Scenes of violence and mayhem are included in this story. Reader Discretion is advised!

Previous Episodes

Part 1 ◾ Part 2 ◾ Part 3 ◾ Part 4

Clockwork City

The City outside of time. The City of brass and steam, of steel and glass. Most of the inhabitants of the city toiled their whole lives, ignorant of the secrets only the scholars theorized and only the scribes recorded in the vast and dark Citadel.

A Master Scholar is researching the reports of sightings of Beasts within the Undercity. Men, machines and monsters battle for supremacy on the oil slick and blood soaked streets.

Among hissing turbines and piping feeding the Upper City, battle and war is waged.

Steam Brutes Part 5

The bladed projectile that was pointed at Max's head was sharp and had a bladed tip, like an arrow.

One shot from close range to the face and Max would be a dead man. The Hunter took a moment to chuckle at his victory.

"Master Wrayburn said some of ya'll would be coming out here tuh stop them youngins hurtin' the townsfolk." The man drawled in a strange accent. Max had never heard anyone speak the way that this man did. He was hard to understand. "Easy pickins, easy pay."

"You haven't won yet." Max replied.

Just got to stall for time.

The Hunter roared with laughter, but was sensible enough to keep his weapon steady while he did so. "I love that. You got balls kid, but this fight is over. I'm just enjoyin' this cause the employer said it-ted me hard."

Any minute now

"Time teh die lil...Ack!" The Hunter was thrown to the side and something large barrled into him. Lifted off the ground, the Hunter lost his grip on his rifle and it fell to the floor.

The two figures sailed to the other side of the street where the Hunter was bashed against the wall. His attacker let go of the man and let him fall to the ground.

"That fucking hurt you bastard." Yavin said. The three javelings were still sticking out of the big man's chest. He grabbed hold of one and grunted as he pulled it out. "At least there was enough damage to activate the heart-vial." He let the javelin fall.

This is why I hate this bastard. * Max thought to himself. * He never stays down for long.

The Hunter grunted and got to his hands and knees and looked up. "What in tarnashun?!"

Yavin stepped closer and kicked the Hunter under his chin with a metal cladded boot. Teeth shattered and blood sprayed over the cobbled street. Yaving took the moment to pull another javelin from his chest and thrown to the side. Finally the one in his shoulder was removed.

He kept this one while he fished around in his belt pouch for another one of his vials. It contained a purple liquid. With a flick of his thumb, Yavin popped the cork and downed the liquid. The big man grunted.

It must taste like shit. Max thought.

In the dim torchlight, Maxwell could see Yavins muscled bulge and strain under his dark skin. It looked painful, like cramps and contractions. The wounds in his body abruptly stopped bleeding and seemed to close slightly.

"Now I'm..." The big man flexed his shoulders, muscles bulging out far larger than they were before. "Ready for you!"

The Hunter managed to sit up. "Yer... not dead..."

It was Yavin's turn to laugh. "Nah man. Of course I'm not dead! I am Yavin the Beast! Did'nt your 'employer' tell you what kind of people he was sending you out against?"

The Hunter shook his head. "He just said that there will be some strong ones mister." The man tried to stand up slowly, blood dripping down his stubbled chin. Max finally got a good look at the man.

Judging by the scars on his face and the way his nose was bent, the man had been punched in the face many times in the past. He was a brawler, used to getting punched and beaten. Probably used to punching and beating too. As well as killing. He had the look in his eyes.

"Strong ones yeah." Yavin allowed the man to stand up.

Always to cocky. Max took a step backwards and crossed his arms. You can have this one all to yourself Yavin. I'm not going to get in the way of your stupid.

"You see. I'm the Beast." Yavin bragged. "You activated the blood-vial implanted in my body. That stopped me from dying. This little thing." He held up the empty glass vial. "Has given me the power to heal up and double my strength. Better put this away. I hate buying more of them." The glass vial was put away into one of Yavin's pouches. "Now, the next hit is going to kill you, so you better say your prayers!"

Yavin threw the javelin at the Hunter, who stepped to the side. The projectile whistled past and was followed by the big man. A roundhouse kick swung at the Hunters' head and the tall man managed to duck and roll out of the way as Yavin's foot connected with the wall, shattering through the bricks and tearing a hole big enough to see inside.

It was the home of some family. The occupants had been unaware of the altercation on the other side of the wall. Whoever they were, Maxwell heard yells and screams from men and women, but they retreated further into the building.

By the time Yavin turned around the Hunter had something out from his own belt and threw it at the Beast. Smoke and shrapnel exploded in all directions and Max managed to get his right arm up in time to ward off some of the stray pieces.

When the smoke cleared, Max and Yavin were alone in the street.

"Fuck sakes." Yavin swore. "What an asshole."

The big man was covered in wounds. From head to toe the man had tiny cuts and lacerations all over his bare skin. Yavin always fought bare chested. He tended to tear his shirts but it turned out to be a liability this time.

Max stepped closer to see what kind of wounds they were but looked around them to try figure out where the Hunter had gone. Had the strange man fled or was he going to come back for a sneak attack.

It was at that moment that Yavin fell to the road on his face and was still.

The Dustoff

That conculeds this episode, sorry if it is a little short and sweet. It was action packed!

Until next time, cheers!

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