One Man Army: Part 5 of 5 (Finale)
Uptown New York.
It was the end of the world.
Anthony Fesack's world anyway, the second the crazed vigilante Frank Castle smashed through the window, the millionaire auction host did the most logical thing any criminal would do in such a situation.
He tucked his tail between his legs and ran.
"Oh god!" He gasped while charging through the room's exit, gas streaming by his feet and and the sound of gunfire behind him.
"Anthony!" Tammy, Fesack's secretary and fiance yelled from behind her desk. "What's... what's going on?!" Anthony clutched at his throat and took a series of quick breaths.
"It's the Punisher!" He snapped while stumbling to his feet. "The goddamn Punisher!" Tammy covered her mouth, stifling a gasp. She understood the severity of the situation... and the situation was quite severe.
"What do we do?" She asked, fear in her beautiful blue eyes. "Do we run?" Anthony took a moment to catch his breath and think.
"No." He decided, screams echoing from the room. "Open up Nuke." He instructed.
"But... but we were going to sell Nuke." Tammy pointed out. "We were going to make millions!" Anthony gave the love of his life a grim, unpleasent look.
"Tammy. If we DON'T release Nuke, we're going to lose millions!"
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Nuke didn't know how he'd arrived in the cramped, cold compartment. All he knew, once his eyes flickered open was that he was alone in a dark, wet, claustrophobic environment... and that reminded the Vietnam War Veteran of memories he'd rather forget.
"Sergeant Simpson!" A voice filled Nuke's ears as he fell out of the compartment and onto the ground, white, alien ooze sticking to his back. He was dressed in his usual attire, the tattered remains of what he'd once worn during his old army days, with his tattoo of the American Flag placed proudly on his face. The super soldier looked up to see a man and woman staring down at him. "Are you ready to serve your country?" The man asked, a nervous twitch in his voice. Nuke got up to his feet, easily towering above the two people with his sheer power and strength.
"Sir." He said. "Always sir." Simpson pulled off a smart salute, his weak, unfit mind immediately snapping into soldier mode.
"The Punisher is a filthy communist." Nuke let off a strong, powerful grin, gritting teeth that could bite through steel. "Take him our."
The former war hero snapped his arm back down to his side, exposing pure muscle that someone would expect to find on a bison.
"Yes sir." He said.
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Frank Castle knew he was in trouble.
He'd come prepared with enough armour, weapons and equipment to take out a whole army. He was armed with enough firepower to make the likes of Spider-Man hesitate before taking him on. The Punisher had been prepared for anything.
All the preparation in the world wouldn't save him from the man with the jackhammer fists.
Blood spat from Frank's mouth as he fell back onto a nearby table, tear gas streamed into his lungs as his respirator lay shattered on the floor. Frank gasped for breath as he leaned his weight against the table in the center of the auction room. Only a minute had passed since he'd encountered Nuke and already he was completely exhausted.
"That all you got, punk?" Nuke asked, no worse for wear. Breathing in the tear gas like he was breathing oxygen. He was easily the height of a small forklift, his fists were the size and width of the English dictionary and his neck was as sturdy as an iron bar. Frank knew... he'd nearly broken a couple of fingers aiming for his adam's apple.
The Punisher took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the table, standing upright with his own weight, sweat dripped from his hair and blood decorated the skull atop his chest. It was also likely one of his teeth had been knocked out.
"I'm just getting started." Frank gasped before charging towards the indestructible man. It was time to prioritize.
Frank's original plan had been to wipe out everyone attending the illegal weapon smuggling auction. Now he was just trying to get out of the place alive.
The two soldiers matched each other blow for blow, Frank's attacks and punches bouncing off Nuke's body, with the super soldier's blows causing blood to fly with every strike. To say the fight was onesided would be an understatement.
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"Today is the 3rd Anniversary of the event known as 'the Nuking of Hell's Kitchen'. A horrific event where the supervillain known only as Nuke attacked the masked vigilante Daredevil, resulting in the deaths of 23 innoc-"
An elderly couple lay in bed, watching the TV memorial unfold from the safety of their expensive apartment. The two of them watched the broadcast in silence, as a candlelight vigil payed respect to one of the many disgusting events that was out of their control.
"Albert." One of the couple said as a booming noise sounded from the hallway. "I think the neighbours are being a bit nois-"
KRASH!!
The couple nearly jumped out of their skin as the Punisher and Nuke smashed through the purple plaster that made up their apartment wall.
"Oh my!"
One of the old fogies gasped as Nuke effortlessly tossed his opponent into the apartment's kitchen. Frank landed against the counter and unsheathed the combat knife attached to his belt, he slashed forward at the super soldier with his blade, creating a quick, small cut on his chest. The human wrecking ball chuckled cheerfully as he reached forward, gripped the vigilante by the throat with his giant fist and shoved him against the kitchen counter, raising him up off the ground and placing him next to the oven.
"R...ru....run!" Frank gasped as the couple dashed out the room. Nuke gave off a hellish grin as he began to squeeze the life out of his foe.
"Should be more worried about yourself, maggot!" Nuke snapped as his plaything squirmed violently in his grasp. "Gettin' distracted's a good way to die, scumbag!"
The Punisher felt his life begin to fade as he clawed visciously at Nuke's hand, doing more damage to his own hand then the super soldier. Visions blurred by in an instant, memories of his life in the military passing by, his modern life at war, his life with his family... and the day at the park.
"Frank?" An all too familiar voice filled Frank's senses and soul, he blinked to see the figures of his deceased wife and children staring down at him, having replaced the image of the meglomaniac currently suffocating him.
"Ma... Maria?" Frank choked, his family's cold gaze burning straight through him.
"Give him hell honey."
With a flash, Frank was back in the room. New life breathed through him as he stared into the cold, steel eyes of his adversary. The Punisher grit his teeth and pulled his spare pistol from the back of his boot. He placed it to the side of Nuke's skull and pulled the trigger.
BLAM!
In surprise, Nuke released his unbreakable grip from around the Punisher's throat, flesh tearing from the impact area of the bullet. Frank burst up from the counter, rubbing at the red marks and bruises around his neck as Nuke slowly stood back to his full height, head nearly hitting the apartment ceiling.
"You sunnuva-" The psychopath started to say as he turned towards the skull bearing crime fighter.
BLAM!
Another bullet struck at Nuke's skull, tearing away even more flesh and revealing the black steel plating hidden beneath the soldier's skin.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Three more bullets fired, knocking Nuke back until his giant frame leaned against the wall seperating the building from the outside.
"Getting distracted's a good way to die." Frank grumbled as he picked up a chair and lobbed it at the villain with all his strength, striking him in the skull and causing Nuke to smash through the concrete wall, sending him tumbling into the New York skyline with a shower of debris and a loud scream.
Nuke was down.
Frank let out a long, deep, exhausted sigh. Bruises forming around every part of his body and face, busted lip bulging and nose basically shattered. Blood covered the majority of his face... and his hair had been torn out in several places, creating something resembling a mohawk.
The Punisher wanted to sink down to his knees and take a moment to breath.
"They went in here!"
"Shoot to kill! Make sure ya get 'em both!"
But that simply wasn't possible. Frank readied his pistol and took cover behind the kitchen wall, several armed Maggia thugs bolting into the apartment with automatic rifles.
The battle wasn't over yet.
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"I can't believe it!" Anthony snapped as the sound of gunfire filled the security cameras of his safe room. He sat down on his bed, Tammy right beside him as one of the Maggia guards was blown to bits in full view of the camera. "He BEAT Nuke!"
"Is he coming here?" Tammy asked, her eyes glued to the screen. Several more bodies fell into the hallway... and finally the Punisher stepped into view, his outfit drenched in red. "Should... should we be worried?"
The Punisher was stood completely still on the camera feed, seemingly pondering his next move. Anthony and Tammy both watched in nervous silence. After a moment he stepped into the hallway and started to limp in the opposite direction of the elevator leading towards Fesack's safe room.
"He's got more sense then that." Anthony muttered. "The Punisher's in no condition to go after us now."
Tammy let out a loud sigh of relief. "Thank god." She said. "What do we-"
Anthony pulled up a brown, leather suitcase and placed it on the bed. "We're getting the hell out of New York." He decided. Tammy bit her lip slightly with frustration. "Anywhere but New York." He said. "Where do you want to go?" The supervillain auction host asked.
"How about Canada?"
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Fogwell's Gym
It had been a long, painful journey... but somehow, against all the odds, Frank had managed to make it back to the relative safety of Hell's Kitchen without drawing any unwanted attention. He stumbled through the entrance to the Gym and collapsed to the ground, not being able to move any further. He couldn't make it to the motel. Fogwell's Gym was closer... and Frank had a friend here.
"Frank! Oh my god!" The old man from earlier yelled as he moved towards the bloody, raw slab of meat that had once been a recognizable human being. "What the hell happened?!" He asked while turning Frank onto his back.
"...help... me..." The Punisher gasped before falling unconscious.
Next Issue: Broken
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