Chapter 40: Score to Settle

"Now, now, don't be hasty." Gillian said speaking calmly while raising an open hand. "You and your forces are not in a favorable position."

When he raised his hand, it signaled to the rest of the East River Militia members hiding behind the wall of cars and they popped into view, aiming their own weapons threateningly. There were well over a hundred militia fighters all armed with a myriad of various weapons. Dozens of militia fighters had been armed with the guns they confiscated from the Black Rats original base. While the remaining members wielded long metal spears, made from twisted rebar, and various other dangerous handheld barbaric looking weapons.

Garret stopped his advance, as did the gangsters with him. The Black Rats had them out numbered almost three to one, but Garret was no fool. The militia had taken cover behind this "wall" and would easily hold off an attacking force. Garret glanced around the surrounding area and noticed that the parking lot and areas that they had come from, were completely exposed. There wasn't even a dead bush to squat behind.

Garret was visually angry as he spoke to Gillian. "So, what are you suggesting? The move is yours to make, traitor."

"I didn't want to do this, but I don't want to start a blood bath. I see you have two of your lieutenants with you." Said Gillian while pointing at Adam and Diana. "I have two Match Fighters as well. So how about we have a three on three duel? The losers leave and the victors do what they want. No weapons though. This has to be hand to hand."

Garret thought over his chances. He could refuse and have everyone charge the walls defenses. However, the losses would undoubtedly be too high. He knew Gillian was an excellent martial artist and would be an even matchup with his own skills. Adam and Diana were also exemplary fighters. The only thing that concerned him were the other two Fighters, their skill was unknown.

"Aright, I accept." Garret said slowly. There was no time to hold back. If he acted weak and hesitated now the gangsters would probably lose faith in him and reclaiming his control of the town was going to be even harder.

"Very well." Gillian said giving a smile. He motioned for the two fighters hidden behind the car wall to come forward.

Two men, twins to be exact, came lumbering into view. They wore identical outfits: combat boots, overalls and tan undershirts. They nearly resembled Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum! However, they clearly seemed far smarter and more capable than them. They were not overly muscular though, just very thick, and tall country boy types.

The two opposing sides formed two cheering semicircles, encircling an area for the six contenders to spar. The two sides remained warry of the other and their weapons never turned away for fear it was a trick. Yet no one made any move that could cause trouble, though insults flew often between the two sides.

Meanwhile the six fighters prepped for the fight amid the noisy crowd. Gillian had tied medical tape around his fists and made a head band as well. The other two twins just loosened their shoulders and limbered up, eyeing the gangsters confidently.

The three gangsters prepared totally different than their opponents. Garret and Adam took off their shirts and flexed trying to build up some adrenaline. Diana was casually chewing some gum while tying her gray-blue dyed hair back out of the way and just patiently waited for the fight to start.

As no one was officiating the fight, they didn't start right away. It wasn't until each sides leader both gave a nod of agreement, did the two sides square up. The crowd cheered for their own side and continued to hurl insults at the others.

Garret was the first to make a move. He charged right at Gillian and took a big right swing at his head. Gillian neatly dodged and tried to counter swing, but Garret was to nimble and was already moving out of range. While those two fought, the other four readied themselves and advanced carefully.

The two big twins looked slow, but every time Adam or Diana got close, they would try to grab them with unnervingly quick speed. Edging around the twins, Diana tried to get behind them while Adam kept their attention on him by switching jabs between the two. All the while avoiding their chunky handed strikes.

One of them tried grabbing Adam and managed to get his hand. Adam yanked hard trying to break free, but only managed to make the man stumble forward. Diana saw her chance in that moment.

Leaping onto the one holding Adam, she immediately wrapped him up into a head lock. The man let go of Adam and tried pulling at Diana's arms to free his neck. He grunted while doing so, struggling for air. His face was turning red and sweat beaded all over his head. However, despite Diana's lazy appearance she was far more dangerous in reality.

While Adam had been momentarily stopped by the first twin, the other twin had gotten really close. Just as Adam was let go of, the second twin punched at Adam, landing a hard blow to his ribs. Adam nearly had the wind knocked out of him and he staggered to the side. Adam, in turn, re-engaged the other twin before he could help his brother with removing Diana. The second twin followed up with several quicker punches aiming for Adams head. Bobbing and weaving Adam held his arms up to his face and avoided the bulk of the damage. It was all Adam could do as the second twin kept up a fearsome assault and let Diana keep attacking the first twin.

Garret and Gillian had wrestled each other to the ground at this point. Each trying to get on top of the other and pin them down. Their arms and legs were tangled together, like wires in a box. In this struggle, Garret had ripped apart Gillian's shirt and it now lay elsewhere. They rolled over and over on the concrete parking lot, scraping and scratching their elbows and knees. Their blood and sweat dripped all over each other making it very difficult to grip onto their shirtless bodies.

It was Gillian that eventually managed to get the advantage. He got his left arm free and started pounding onto Garret's exposed head. Garret thrashed violently and pushed off Gillian's body with his legs and scrapped painfully across the ground, sliding on his own side to get away. Garret got up first and tried to pounce on top of Gillian to continue their grappling. While still on his back, Gillian kicked out and up at Garret, catching him squarely in the stomach. Garret let out a moan and stumbled back clutching his middle.

Diana wasn't able to take down the first twin as quickly as she had intended. The twin managed to get a grip around her wrists and with difficulty, peeled her off him. She managed to wriggle free of his grasp and freed her arm. He gasped in air violently and he collapsed to one knee tired from the ordeal. She went to kick him in the head, but he exhaustedly threw up his arm and absorbed the blow. Switching from his head to side, she repeatedly bashed him hard in the side with the side of her foot.

Adam wasn't doing as well as the other two gangsters. The second twin's attacks rained down on him and each was as heavy as the last. A side swipe knocked his guard away and in that brief moment the second twin struck him hard, right in the temple. The blow stunned Adam and he collapsed back heavily onto the pavement with a dazed expression. Seeing this, the twin didn't hesitate and followed up his attack by smashing at Adam’s exposed head repeatedly. Adam was completely defenseless and was soon rendered unconscious in seconds.

The second twin got up off Adam and took a moment to catch his breath and look at the other two fights going on. His brother appeared to be in the most danger. So, he slowly lumbered towards Diana to help his brother who was still being kicked on the ground and laying in a fetal position.

Gillian scrambled up from the ground and proceeded to attack Garret, who was still clutching at his kicked stomach. Throwing a heavy left hook at Garret, Gillian managed to land a decent blow. Garret sucked in a labored breath and reactively threw his own counter punch but missed. Emboldened by his successful attacks, Gillian pounded away at Garret. Garret was overwhelmed by the ferocious swings from Gillian and tumbled backwards to the ground. Now their previous positions had been completely reversed! He tried covering his face with his arms and swaying back and forth to avoid the attacks, as Gillian easily mounted on top of him.

The second twin, once close to Diana, raised both hands up, clenched, and went to pound at Diana from behind. Swinging downward at her, he intended to hit her in the back of head. Yet, somehow, Diana managed to sense him just in time and sidestepped out of the way. The twin's attack smashed into the ground and actually sent spider web cracks throughout the pavement. Inwardly she shuddered and stopped moving, feeling the wind of his swing brushing so closely behind her was too close for comfort. If that attack had landed, she might have been killed!

The first twin, angry from being choked and kicked, used that moment to reach out and grab her ankle. Once he did, he jumped up while yanking her up off her feet and hoisted her upside down into the air. She dangled angrily trying to punch him and break free. It was of no use, the second twin swung at her, this time punching her like he would a sandbag. His blows landed on her stomach, chest, back and head. She couldn't absorb them all and was quickly beaten into defeat. Seeing the fight from her was gone, the first twin dropped her, like a child would with a useless doll, and stepped onto her head triumphantly.

Gillian had paused his attacks, for just a moment, hearing the mood from the crowd change upon Diana's lose and it gave Garret an opening. He jabbed upward catching Gillian in the chin. The strike knocked Gillian up and off himself. As he scrabbled up, Garret took a glance at his lieutenants laying broken on the ground, he realized the fight was finished.

"H-hold up!" Garret called out holding out his hands to Gillian and the twins that were quickly coming his way. "This fight is yours. We lose!"

The three East River Militia representing Fighters stopped advancing hearing this. The Black Rats had grown silent, while the ERM members cheered even louder.

Gillian spoke up wiping at a speck of blood coming from his lip. "So, you're actually admitting you've lost. Ha, ha, finally you have known defeat!"

"I am not beaten!" Garret retorted. "But I cannot fight three of you at once." He started backing up towards his fallen fellow fighters. "We will come back and next time you won't be as lucky!"

Garret picked up both his allies and tucked each of them under his arms. Then the rest of the Black Rats quickly followed Garret as he retreated, back the way they had come from through town. The ERM threw insults and rocks at them as they did.

The fight had been won, but the battle had only just begun.