Judgement (The Twelve)

by Jeff Ashcroft

  Instead of answering, Anvil rubbed the head of the hammer across his wound and suddenly flicked blood drops at Edge.

  Two struck his face and instantly the skin boiled and bubbled. Edge yelled in pain, dropping one sword to grab the side of his face.

  Anvil spun his hammer and let fly, but withheld most of the power behind the blow. It struck Edge fully in the chest, smashing him backwards off his feet.

  Anvil ran in with water rising up from each step, grabbed his hammer which hung in midair, he swung a mighty downwards blow but at the last second deflected it to strike the earth next to Edges head.

  Although suffering from a crushed chest, Edge didn’t hesitate and stabbed upwards with his remaining sword. The blade bit deep into Anvils chest. Edge instantly knew his father could have avoided the blow but choose not to.

  For a moment they stood there staring at each other. With a hesitant grin, Edge slowly pulled free his blade, rolled to the side and painfully climbed to his feet. Anvil made no attempt to move, simply stared at his son. The rain watered down the blood which flowed in rivulets down his chest.

  The grin slowly dropped away, “You should have fought harder!” He sprayed rain water from his lips as he shouted.

  Anvil took three faltering steps back away from Edge, one hand held to the heavily bleeding wound and then he did the one thing Edge never expected, he smiled.

  “You could have aimed for my heart. Why didn’t you?”

  Edge half smiled, “I can feel a few broken ribs and possibly a punctured lung. But that hammer of yours could have gone right through me had you thrown hard enough. Why did you hold back?”

  “Need you ask?”

  Edge’s expression changed to one of outrage, “I expected no mercy!”

  Anvil coughed up some blood, “As did I.”

  Coffee was getting fed up with the exchange, “Edge, finish him off now!” she snarled.

  Edge took a faltering step towards his father, hand clutching at his crushed chest. In a sudden move which was slow for Edges skills, he slashed his sword blade out and across. Anvil was ready and with one mighty cross blow, shattered the blade.

  Edge staggered back, looking for his other weapon. Coffee held it out to him, an evil grin on her face.

  “Must you?” Anvil asked sadly.

  Edge hesitated again but by the shear evil will power from Coffee, Edge plucked his sword from her outstretched hand and faster than the eye could follow, leapt forward and slashed down and across. He was just too fast even for Anvil. The blade opened up a terrible slashing wound from collarbone to opposing hip.

  Anvil realising he had been terribly wounded choose instead to ignore the blow and delivered one of his own. Edge was not expecting such a thing to happen. The hammer head struck home, crushing Edges left shoulder and driving bone fragments into both lungs and his throat.

  Spinning away, Edge staggered to a stop, dropping his sword back into the dirt. Facing the opposite direction he spoke chokingly, “I have killed you father.”

  Anvil placed the head of his mighty hammer on the ground, collapsing to his knees he held himself upright by shear will power, “Aye and I you.”

  There was great sorrow and hurt in his voice. But then an animal roar of pure rage filled the air. Rage, monstrous Rage, hurled himself forward with madness in his eyes and froth upon his lips. The new members of the Dark, Pigswell and Ridgeback tried to block his path, but Rage ploughed Pigswell aside with ease, kicking him twenty feet through the air before he could spew fire. Ridgeback met him head on, giant to giant. But The Dark one called Ridgeback, a former freak show hunchbacked wrestler forgot one thing, Rage was a warrior from a distant past, who had fought in hundreds of battles and knew the ways of dealing death. But above all he was a man that most feared to be near in battle. Rage was a berserker. He ignored a blow to his face that could punch through a foot of concrete. He ignored the next that cut him open above his right eye. Then it was Rages turn, he smashed Ridgeback in the groin with his knee and as The Dark folded, Rage jumped up and brought the full force of his primeval strength down, smashing his elbow down on the back of Ridgebacks head. Dazed, The Dark never felt Rage take hold of him with an arm hooked under and around his chin. Rage screamed and stood up straight, The Darks neck snapped with ease. Ridgeback collapsed as if pole axed, dead before he hit the ground. Claws tried to stop him, but his mighty hands lifted her easily into the air and even as she slashed his body a dozen times, Rage casually threw her over his shoulder as he thundered onwards. Claws landed hard, she curled up into a ball like a spider and lay there dazed. Retch tried to spew giant red ants at him but Rage punched him once in the mouth, hurling him from his feet. Finally within reach of Coffee, Rage reached for her neck. Coffee lifted one tiny finger and stopped him dead in his tracks. Rage thrashed and hurled himself blindly at an invisible barrier. Screaming incoherently, his mouth frothing in mindless fury, Rage pounded his fists against thin air. Finally tired of him, she thrust Rage aside. His huge body flew sideways to smash into the graveyards iron gates, crashing through them onto the dirt path beyond. Rage ended up semi conscious wrapped in the mangled remains of the gates.

  Coffee, wiped the tip of her finger on her chest, “I wondered when he’d live up to his name.”

  Edge slowly, carefully, turned bit by bit until he faced Anvil, blood was pouring from his mouth, “The Chosen One is great. She shall heal my wounds.”

  Anvil sadly shook his head, “No she cannot. It is not allowed for her to interfere.”

  Huntress who had placed Hot Crosses head under a nearby bush, ran across to kneel besides Rage, “He’s okay I think the berserker has passed.”

  Edge looked imploringly at Coffee, who ignored him and stared daggers at Anvil.

  Edge took a step forward and collapsed. Coffee gritted her teeth as she looked down at Edge.

  Slowly she raised her eyes to lock onto Chris’s, “We have both lost this day”

  Chris listened to Judgements inner voice and knew her to be wrong, “You are wrong. This is all that I hoped for.”

  Coffee gritted her teeth and sneered, “You hoped to see your father and half brother die. Truly you should be one of us!”

  Priest moved forward to kneel besides Anvil, his arms supporting him, “I cannot heal this wound my friend.”

  Chris walked up to stand toe to toe with Coffee, her breath a foul stench in his nostrils, “The law states that I cannot help my father and you cannot help Edge, but there is a way we can help each other.”

  Understanding dawned on her face, “You mean?”

  Chris smiled,” We help each other, something never done before.”

  Chris moved to stand next to Edge whilst Coffee after a moment hesitation moved towards Anvil.

  Bulls Eye clicked back both triggers, “Stay back witch!”

  Chris raised a hand, “It’s alright Bulls Eye leave her alone.”

  Coffee looked down with loathing at Anvils body, “I have lost another one today. I cannot afford to loose Edge as well.”

  At a nod from Chris, both Coffee and Judgement spoke loud and clear, their voices echoing around the old graveyard, Judgement spoke first with Coffee repeating exactly every word he uttered, “I choose to help and heal my immortal foe, so that another may live. I choose to heal my immortal foe so that the law shall not be broken,”

  With that they both placed a hand on the head of Edge and Anvil. At the exact same time both hands started to glow first a golden yellow before turning a deep dark red. The light pulsated down through the body of each mortally wounded man. The glow from the light beating like a living heart, surprisingly they both beat as one.

  Wounds that should not heal started to heal. The terrible injuries slowly faded under the pulsating light, internal organs healed and blood pressure started to rise.

  Anvil took a deep cleansing breath, “That will suffice, I….thank you.”

  Edge waited until Chris had finished before flipping himself to his feet. He sla
pped his chest and laughed. Retrieving his one sword he frowned at the shattered one.

  Coffee smiled and walked up to Chris, she offered him her hand before suddenly trying to surprise him with a quick and deadly blow to his neck but Chris deflected the blow easily.

  “You belittle what we have done this day.” Chris stated coldly.

  Edge frowned, “He saved my life and you return the favour by trying to kill him.”

  Coffee gritted her teeth again, “Shut up dolt, you live do you not!”

  Chris spoke to Edge, “Remember this day my brother.”

  Speed flew back over the fence, landed, ran and skidded to a halt besides Huntress, “That was one hell of a ride. Anyone got any water on them?”

  One of Jennings men threw him a canteen, which he emptied in two seconds flat.

  Cougar and Panther silently rose up behind Jennings people. They had been concealed in a drainage ditch.

  Screech had managed to climb from the overturned wagon. To say she was pissed off was an understatement. She pulled up her skirt and soiled petticoats and shuffled slowly towards her nearest enemy who happened to be Bulls Eye.

  Sling staggered up to his Mistress, a broken arrow head protruding from just under his left collar bone. He knelt before her with bowed head, “With your blessings oh wise and beautiful lady.” He spoke through teeth filed to sharp points.

  Coffee smiled down at her ebony warrior, reached out with her index finger, gently touched the arrow head, which turned to ash the wound healed itself in an instant. Sling stood, bowed and moved off to the far right.

  Priest knew something wasn’t quite right with this game plan and whispered to Anvil, “Hang on where’s Venom, Leach, Ghost and those two cats?”

  Chris shook his head, “This fight should stop here and now. What needed doing has been done.”

  But Coffee had second thoughts.

  Before Anvil could think about that, Coffee scooped up a three foot wide clod of earth, bones and skulls with a single thought and hurled the mass directly at Chris, Anvil and Priest.

  Priest moved fast for a fat man and interposed his body in front of the others, “Behind me!”

  Closing his eyes he absorbed everything without even a flinch. Sling threw his missile but it wasn’t aimed at Priest.

  Chris, like Anvil, had instinctively ducked as they moved behind Priest giant frame and that saved his life. The steel ball glanced from his skull instead of crushing it. But it still knocked him to the ground senseless. Coffee raised a fist in glorious rapture, convinced Chris was dead. Anvil ran over to see how badly hurt his son was, ignoring Coffee completely.

  Bulls Eye shouted to Sling who was about to hurl another ball at the prone and defenceless Chris, “Sling try me on for size!”

  Sling did just that, faster than the eye could follow he loaded and shot a steel ball directly at Bulls Eye who drew his right hand weapon and fired. The bullet struck the steel ball in mid air!

  “Try harder!” Bulls Eye shouted, spinning the gun back into its holster. Sling drew another leather slingshot and with one whirling in each hand, sent two steel balls hurtling towards Bulls eye. His guns appeared in his hands like magic, both firing at the same time from the hip. Miraculously he hit both steel balls at the same time. One was flattened in mid air, the other was deflected sideways.

  Coffee was just about to attack both Anvil and Chris. The deflected steel ball struck Coffee a glancing blow to her extended left elbow, shattering the bone. She screamed in pain, causing Sling to involuntarily glance towards her. Bulls Eye fired again aiming for Slings eyes. He struck true! Sling fell over backwards to splash down in the mud and rain.

  Bulls Eye looked down at the body, “Was worth killing.”

  “Venom” Coffee screeched.

  Venom rose suddenly from the ground, his body totally fitting in with the colours and shades of the dirt and grass. He stood crouched, claws extended, no more than five feet from Heartless. Heartless had his back to him. The others where looking around for this fresh call to attack but they where to late to prevent his attack.

  He struck out at heartless, but at the last second, Huntress caught the movement out of the corner of her white eyes, “Heartless Behind you!”

  Heartless spun and brought up his clawed blade. Venom struck the steel with a clang. Quick as lightning he brought up his other metallic hand and blocked the second blow with ease. But Venom had another surprise in store, he spat snake Venom! Heartless instinctively brought his hand up to protect his face and as he did so Venom dived down onto one knee, spun with the other leg outstretched and took Heartlesses feet from under him. Spinning upright, Venom came back to his feet, leaned over and stabbed his talons into Heartlesses chest.

  “My claws are like my fangsssssssssssss, poisoned.” He hissed.

  Huntress could only look on helplessly as Heartless closed his eyes, shuddered and stopped moving. Venom drew back his hands for another blow but found Slash blocking his way. “Try me snake man!”

  It was Screech’s turn, she let forth an ear splitting scream, sending a tunnel of super sonic air directly towards Bulls Eye who only just managed to dive out of the way of the blast. He drew his right hand gun and fired off three quick rounds but each round was flattened as they hit the wave in mid air.

  Cougar and Panther moved with the speed of big cats, hitting the ground hands first before bounding forward on rear feet devoid of shoes or socks. Mouths opened unnaturally wide, revealing fanged mouths. Both started to make mincemeat out of Jennings people. Slash heard the humans screaming and risked a glance to see what was happening. Venom tried another attack but quick as a flash Slash blocked the blow with his Bowie knife, opening up a five inch gash along the monsters right shoulder and upper arm. As Venom reeled, Slash leapt into the air, kicking the creature hard in the chest. Venom tumbled onto his back, allowing Slash time to check out Panther and Cougar.

  His hands flashed to sheathed knives and two blades where in the air a fraction of a second later. Cougar twisted in mid air avoiding the spinning blade. Panther tried the same trick in the opposite direction but the knife struck him high in the right arm. Loosing momentum and balance, he hit the ground hard with his good shoulder and the left side of his face.

  Cougar flew eighteen feet through the air and hit Slash full on knocking him off his feet. Cougar tumbled past him, quickly regained his feet and dived back onto Slash, both there bodies locked in mortal combat.

  Panther rolled, climbed to his feet and yanked free the blade. Throwing it aside, the blade clanged off a piece of broken concrete protruding from the rumble. Panther decided to help kill Slash, and started to run over to join his brother, ignoring Patch as nothing more than a useless girl.

  Big mistake, Patch grasped the hilt of her fathers sword and slashed horizontally as Panther passed her at speed, he stumbled to a stop with patch facing the opposite direction, blade extended before her.

  Behind her Chris allowed Anvil and Huntress to help him to his feet. He was bleeding from a scalp wound, dazed but otherwise unhurt. Without thinking he threw a small ball of chain lightning directly at Coffee which she just managed to deflect. The chain lightning, hit the Cherry Picker, blowing it to flaming shards.

  Coffee directed her own un-injured hand down and to her left. An underground sewer burst up through the soil, a gusher of foul smelling liquid exploded skywards, “Leach!” She ordered.

  From out of the stinking mess came The Dark One called Leach, he saw Anvil and sent a huge glob of compressed shit in the shape of a fist hurling towards him. But Anvil just smiled, held out his hand and spun the hammer like a whirling propeller. The shit shaped fist hit the weapon and burst apart. Anvil now held his weapon at the ready. “Shits hit the fan!” he joked.

  Priest smiled at Anvils joke and was about to say something when Retch who was waiting until Priest was distracted, charged Priest. Like two gigantic Rhino’s they struck. Both bounced violently away but with Retch spewing cockroaches from his mo
uth. Thousands swarmed towards Priest who was thrown violently off his feet, struck a concrete block, shattered it and rolled through the mud to halt up against an old rusting axle. Priest reached behind him, grabbed the axle, pulled it free from the rubble and brought it down crushing hundreds of bugs. It gave him the time to start rolling across the mud, crushing hundreds more, but still they came, swarming over him. Priest protected his face as he started to feel thousands of tiny bites tearing at his exposed flesh but Speed suddenly appeared. His feet and hands a blur as he flattered nearly every single one. Priest absorbed each blow with a grunt.

  Finally he shouted, “Enough thank you!” and lumbered to his feet.

  Speed nodded to Priest then took off like a guided missile, flying at Retch, but Retch like Priest was an unmoveable object. Although winded by the impact, he just staggered back one small step. The same couldn’t be said for Speed, who rebounded back, whizzing past Priest. He landed hard and slide along the ground on his back and fell into the hole made where Priest had pulled free the heavy axle.