by Matt Cowper
Slowly it dawned on her: Auspice didn't want to turn her in, didn't want to hunt her down if she escaped after their fight with Kain. But since he was a superhero, he had to play this fiction out. It both soothed his conscience and covered his ass; if someone questioned him later, he could say he had every intention of turning Deathrain in – he'd even told her so – but the assassin had been too clever for him.
Letting out a breath to dissipate her anger, Deathrain finally lied: “OK, I'll turn myself in after we defeat Kain.”
Auspice also let out a relieved sigh. “Good.”
“So, uh...should we get started?”
“Sure. Do you have a plan in mind?” Auspice asked. “Remember, he's slippery. Every time I've had him in my sights, he's gotten away.”
“Well, I know he's very interested in me. It shouldn't be too difficult to set up another meeting.”
“Are you certain?”
“Dead certain – emphasis on dead.”
Chapter Nine
Again, Kain stood by the docks like he enjoyed twiddling his thumbs in a desolate place in the early morning hours. Deathrain watched him through her binoculars as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Before, she'd been filled with apprehension as she prepared to meet him, and then filled with a dangerous mixture of fear and lust as she talked with him.
Now, though, she felt confident, serene – even pure. She and Auspice were going to defeat this maniac. Not tomorrow, not next week – now.
As soon as she'd come to an agreement with the superhero, Deathrain had called the number Kain had provided. She'd told Kain she wanted to meet to discuss “certain complications,” but she'd also dropped a fair number of hints that she wanted to see him for more than business matters.
Uttering those phrases she'd used to lure him in, phrases like “the darkness within me needs to be petted” would have made her almost drunk with giddiness a few hours ago. Now they made her skin crawl. Nonetheless, they'd apparently worked. Kain had agreed to meet that very night, at the same spot they'd met before.
Auspice was nearby – somewhere. He hadn't told her where he'd be, exactly, only that she should trust him: “You just get in close, distract him. Then I'll be there, and we can end this.”
He'd also been stern on one point: “We're not going to kill him. I know how you feel, but we do this the right way.”
She'd nodded, but internally she prepared to put a bullet in Kain's noggin. She respected Auspice – even liked him – but she wasn't going to let Kain live.
It was time to move. She'd scouted the area, and hadn't detected anyone. Kain was right there, unknowingly about to give up his life. Smiling through the leather mask she once again wore, she plunged to the ground and walked towards their prey.
As before, Kain turned before she got close. He was wearing the same suit as before, and his expression was just as arrogant and malicious. “Ah. Deathrain. You look quite fetching tonight.”
It seemed her dark flirtations had worked. She stopped close to him, so close they were almost touching. Kain appraised her like she was a slave up for auction.
“Thanks,” she said, trying to make her voice husky. “You look...downright sinister.”
“Sinister? I suppose I am.” His hands wrapped around her waist. “But then, so are you.”
His touch...again she felt electricity sizzle through her body. The things they'd do to each other if she went with him right now...but then she thought of Auspice. So tough, so stern, so sympathetic. And their hug....
She pushed Kain away and pulled out a pistol, aiming it at his head.
“Sorry,” she said, “but you're no longer my type. In fact, I've decided you no longer deserve to live.”
Kain squinted at her, but didn't appear truly concerned. “Really? This is quite a change. Just last night you wanted me to ravage you. Do not deny it.”
“Maybe. That's irrelevant now.”
“Is it? Wait, I know what's happened. You had a long conversation with that naive superhero Auspice, the man you were supposed to kill, didn't you? His good-hearted banality must have rubbed off on you. I suspected something was amiss when you failed to kill him earlier tonight.”
So he'd heard about their duel. She should've known he had eyes and ears all throughout Bootheel. Not that it mattered now. “Yeah, we did have a good conversation, but I'd changed my mind before that.”
“Before you shot him? I find that hard to believe.”
Deathrain opened her mouth to argue, then stopped. This was pointless. Time to do what she'd come here to do. “Any last words?”
“So this is it? The legendary assassin tries to be a good little girl by killing the big, bad kingpin.” He laughed like he'd just heard the world's greatest joke. “Do you think it'll be that easy? One bullet through my skull, and you're redeemed?”
“No, I don't. But it's a start.”
“No. It's an end.”
A silvery light seemed to shine on Kain. At first, Deathrain thought it was a streetlight that had come on, or the light from a ship out in Jameson Bay illuminating the man within her sights. But no: Kain's skin was changing color, to a sheen that resembled a mix of diamonds and obsidian.
So he was superhuman, as they'd conjectured. And, if Deathrain had to guess, this transformation would only make him stronger. With a grimace, she pulled the trigger, hoping to kill him while he was still vulnerable.
The bullet sparked against his forehead, then ricocheted off in some unknown direction. Kain rubbed the spot where he'd been shot, like he was checking on a mosquito bite.
“You should've shot me immediately,” he said. “Now it's too late.”
“We'll see about that,” she replied, reaching into a pouch for a clip of explosive rounds.
But as she pulled out the magazine, something pierced her hand, the object slicing all the way through and pinning her hand to her thigh. It was – an arrow? Who would use a fucking arrow? The attack had come from her right side, so after yanking out the arrow, she whirled in that direction.
Standing about fifty yards away was a tall, well-built man in cargo pants, a long-sleeved shirt covered by a vest, and boots. He looked like a safari guide or a rancher. In his hands was a wooden bow, and Deathrain thought she saw a quiver of arrows slung across his back.
“Did you think I wouldn't see through your deception?” In this new form, Kain's smile looked even more grotesque, like he was a gargoyle come to life. “You must think your new self-righteousness is a valid substitute for proper planning. As you can see, I expected you to do something stupid, so I brought backup. Deathrain, meet the man known as Sergei. He doesn't have a fancy superhuman name like you and Auspice, but he's just as dangerous. I take it you've heard of him?”
Deathrain knew exactly who Sergei was. A mercenary like her, skilled in countless forms of combat – but beyond all that, a hunter. He didn't enjoy killing someone with a well-placed shot. He wanted the thrill of the hunt, to see his prey run, squirm, and beg as he closed in.
Sergei would kidnap someone and drop them in a jungle, give them a few days head start, then go after them. He wouldn't kidnap your average Joe and Jane either – he'd take seasoned soldiers, black ops veterans, even superhumans. Legend told that no one had ever escaped from Sergei once he decided to hunt them. It was rumored that, although he had no powers of his own, that he was more than a match for Class A superhumans.
Deathrain knew that those legends – like her legends – were greatly overblown, but there was no doubt that Sergei was a major foe. His strength and speed were world-class, and few people were as stealthy; that was why she hadn't detected his presence. He was probably here the first time she'd met with Kain, melted into the shadows, waiting, watching.
It would be difficult enough to take him on alone, much less with Kain thrown into the mix.
Luckily, she wasn't alone, as the sight of a white-spandexed man running towards them attested.
“Ah, so you brought the hero here,” Kai
n said. “Good. I hoped you would. Now I get to kill you both. I do love it when a plan comes together.”
So they'd been played after all. Deathrain cursed inwardly. She should've known Kain was too cunning to just waltz right into a trap.
Still, it was two versus two – she hoped; if Kain had more help stashed around, they were screwed – and even though Auspice was injured, his sixth sense powers would make him more than a match for either of their opponents.
“Deathrain, are you OK?” the superhero shouted as he approached.
“Don't worry about me, idiot!” she replied. “My healing factor can handle this! Watch out for Sergei!”
The hunter had pulled another arrow onto his bow, and was aiming at the running Auspice. The arrow shot out, but Auspice ducked and rolled, and the arrow sailed across the dim docks.
The hero stood up, glaring at Sergei, then at Kain. “So we finally meet. You––”
“No, I'm not going to listen to your hero's speech,” Kain said. “If we're going to fight, then let's get on with it.”
He shot a nigh-unbreakable fist at Deathrain's skull. She slipped to the side – barely. Apparently his form didn't slow him down – and as smoothly as he pivoted towards her, continuing the assault, she knew he'd had extensive training in martial arts.
Maybe a grenade would at least distract him...but another arrow hit her hand, again pinning it to her thigh. Sergei – she couldn't dodge his attacks as well as Kain's.
“You take Sergei!” she shouted to Auspice. “I'll handle Kain!”
Auspice looked dubious – and Kain looked delighted – but the hero did as he was told. Out of the corner of her eye she saw white spandex streak towards the hunter, then a flurry of punches and kicks.
Deathrain again yanked the arrow out of her body and skipped a few feet away, preparing to use her grenades.
“Trying to create some distance so you can use your weapons, aren't you?” Kain taunted. “A good tactic – if I let you do it.”
He kept charging, preventing her from doing much besides dodging. She punched him a few times, just to see if there was a weak point somewhere, but each blow shattered her fist. Her healing factor sewed them up quickly enough, but continuing in that vein would be pointless.
It was time to use a painful, but dependable tactic – letting herself get caught.
She ran towards Kain, feigning a kick, but then grabbed his arm and launched herself onto his back. She tried to gouge his eyes, though she figured they were as protected as the rest of his body. And indeed, her fingers felt like they were scraping against pebbles, and Kain didn't seem even mildly uncomfortable.
“My eyes are as adamantine as the rest of me,” he said. “A valiant effort, though.”
He grabbed her hands and threw her off, slamming her into the ground. Deathrain felt damage in her back and hips, and her brain felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer. Kain quickly dragged her back to her feet and locked her in a choke hold. Her throat was instantly crushed. Next would be her neck.
“What a fool you are,” he whispered into her ear. “To think of what our dark, endless nights together could've been like...such a shame. Goodbye, Deathrain. After I snap your neck, you'll be helpless for a few minutes, at least. I'll use that time to decapitate you. With your healing factor, you're too dangerous to leave alive. Your friend Auspice, however...we'll torture him for a very long time....”
Typical villain. Has to monologue before delivering the coup de grâce. Deathrain felt her neck crunch, but she'd already pulled out a grenade and flicked out the pin. With a grunt, she put it between herself and Kain.
Fire ripped into her. She fell forward, falling face-first into a rank puddle. She sucked in air...throat collapsed...couldn't breathe...then her healing factor fixed up that injury. However, her back was burning; she felt the meat and skin melting off her. She rolled over, smothering the flames, if not the pain.
She looked up, and there was Kain, staring at her with a mixture of admiration and hate. The grenade's blast had done nothing except destroy the upper part of his suit. His shining body remained unscathed.
“Well done,” he said. “I should've expected that. Damaging yourself in order to damage others is one of your trademarks. However, this time your gambit had no effect.”
Shit. That had been a high-end grenade, not the toys U.S. soldiers tossed around. She expected at least a scratch.
She had to have something that would hurt him!
But as she continued to prod her pouches and pockets, she concluded most her arsenal was now useless. The grenade's explosion had damaged pretty much everything. That had been a foolhardy move, as it turned out.
Cursing, she rose, ignoring her still-smoldering back – and ran away.
They were out of their league. Unless Auspice had some super-gizmo in his utility belt, neither of them could harm Kain. They could dance around his attacks, maybe figure out a way to drop him into Jameson Bay, but then they'd have to contend with Sergei, who wasn't going to sit around and twiddle his thumbs.
She ran towards Auspice and the hunter, who were engaged in one of the fiercest battles she'd ever seen. They were oblivious to the outside world, each totally focused on the other.
Sergei had a knife in his hand, and he slashed at the superhero's arm, but then Auspice kicked the knife away and followed up with a savage blow to the stomach. Instead of doubling over, Sergei only snarled and nearly decapitated Auspice with a roundhouse kick. The hero staggered for an instant, then gamely continued, as fast and as resolute as ever.
Both men were bloody and slick with sweat. Auspice's sixth sense had kept him from getting killed, but Sergei was still skilled enough to land plenty of shots. It was likely Auspice's greatest test as a superhero – and perhaps Sergei's greatest test as a hunter.
A part of her wanted to see who'd ultimately prevail, but that was the dark part, one she was trying to eradicate. With a yell, she launched herself at Sergei, connecting with a dropkick that probably dislodged at least one of the hunter's teeth. He grunted and twisted like he was struggling against a high wind, but he didn't fall. What would it take to knock this guy off his feet?
“Deathrain?” Auspice asked in between pants. “What are you doing? What about Kain?”
“We need to retreat. Now.”
“What?! You were hellbent on taking him down!”
“And I still am. But our trap has turned against us. We––”
“No talking now.” It was Sergei, his voice trembling with rage. It took a moment, but Deathrain realized he was angry because she'd interrupted his duel with Auspice. “Leave us, woman.”
In a flash, two throwing knives flew towards her. She flipped out of their path; though she could heal from their cuts, if they were covered in a poison similar to what Auspice had used against her, it would slow her down enough so Kain could snap her neck.
Speaking of the maniac – she'd landed right in front of him. With shock, as well as professional appreciation, she realized Sergei had deliberately tossed those knives at her left side, so she'd jump in the opposite direction, right into Kain's grasp.
Kain lunged at her, grabbing her arm and twisting it like he was unscrewing a giant lid. There was an audible crack, and a bone surged through her skin. She struggled, but Kain's battering-ram fist crashed into her face, breaking her nose and causing stars to dance in front of her.
“Sergei, finish her off,” Kain said. “She's far more dangerous than this spandex fool.”
“No,” Sergei replied, that one word as heavy as a mountain.
“No?!”
“I was fighting a worthy opponent.” He gave a slight bow towards Auspice, who looked astonished. “You two are interfering. Leave us be. After I defeat this man, we will deal with Deathrain.”
For a few long seconds, Kain was uncharacteristically speechless. Finally, he managed: “We were...interfering? Sergei, have you forgotten who is paying you?! Who has provided you with endless 'worthy opponen
ts' to hunt?”
“You have treated me well, it is true,” the hunter said, “and I am an honorable man – so long as no one interferes with my code. Right now, you are interfering. I must know how I will ultimately fare against Auspice. I suggest you handle Deathrain yourself, or we will have a...disagreement.”
Trouble with the hired help. Always a weak point for crimelords and kingpins. Luckily, they were arguing in the middle of a fight, which gave Deathrain some precious moments to collect her thoughts.
There had to be some sort of weaponry still on her person that could create a diversion. She ran her hands across her outfit, looking for something, anything....
Then Auspice charged Sergei, letting out a war cry that gave her goosebumps.
The idiot! Yes, she knew he'd seen an opening, but that wasn't the right play! They needed to draw this moment out, not re-engage!
But it was too late. The superhero and the hunter were already a tornado of blows, and she was still in Kain's unbreakable clutches.
Then she was sailing through the air – right into Auspice. She slammed into the hero's back, causing him to fall right into a vicious elbow from Sergei. Auspice's neck snapped back, spittle and blood flew, and he collapsed to the ground.
Sergei looked just as surprised as Deathrain. He knelt down to verify Auspice was out cold, then glared at Kain.
“That was...not wise,” he growled.
“Your obsession with hunts isn't wise,” Kain said, walking over to face down his mutinous companion. “But if you want to face Auspice again, we'll capture him and set up a contest. Just you and him, no distractions. Right now, though, we have business to attend to.”
Sergei frowned at Kain, his eyes twitching madly.
“Remember who I am, Sergei,” Kain said, “and what I can do.”
Several long seconds passed. Finally, Sergei said: “Fine.”
“Good,” Kain replied. He grabbed Deathrain's still-broken arm, twisting it again to make sure it stayed shattered. “She is vulnerable now. She has a broken arm and likely a major concussion, but her healing factor will of course mend those wounds. I was going to snap her neck, but now that you're...available, we can move straight to decapitation. She won't be able to heal from that.”
