Make a Move: Gambler vs Spartan

Location: Alcatraz

Get your popcorn ready

At last, the time had come. The Spartan had served under Gambler many years before as a member of the Hellfire Club. Afterwards, the two served alongside each other briefly in the Zero Squad. After the Zero Squad, there was The Outlawz. Finally, they were back together in the Hellfire Club once again. This time, The Spartan had made his way to the Inner Circle. Now, both he and the Cajun held prominent positions within the society. The struggle of who held the greater power would finally be ended as the two egotistical, power-hungry giants met in one last battle. In Alcatraz, the battle-hardened Spartan, Demetrius Arkelis, would face the crafty Cajun, Jean-Luc "Gambler" Lebeau.....

The Spartan had spent the entire day clearing his mind. His strength and stamina outweighed the Cajun's drastically. However, Gambler had amazing speed and impressive abilities that balanced out the equation. Gathering up his weapons, he went to Alcatraz for the final match. As Demetrius arrived on the island, he immediately began to look around and take in his surroundings. If he was going to win, it would take pure strategy. Arriving to the battle first, he sniffed the air for the Cajun's scent. Lebeau was close, he could feel it.

Reaching back, The Spartan drew his legendary adamantium blade and stood ready for whatever came his way......

The arrogant King of Kings nonchalantly walked down the deserted halls of the infamous prison. Gambler was at the height of his power. Behind him stood the single most powerful group of villains ever assembled under one roof. But as it is in most dynasties, there was someone who wanted more, someone who wanted to be in the Cajun’s position of power. An offensive juggernaut, the Spartan had few equals in terms of raw power or military prowess. One of the few immortals allowed in the HFC, his position as the King of Clubs no longer seemed fitting of his stature.

Cocky almost to a fault Gambler considered himself without equal. With the copied fighting styles of some of the greatest killers, heroes, and power hungry gods the Vine had to offer, his skills where indeed impressive. Armed with his Vibranuim bo-staff and playing cards he knew it would take everything he had and then some to down this contender to the throne.

Making his way up to the roof the Cajun stood on the ledge over looking the bay. Down below small waves broke against the rocky island foundation in which the prison was famous for. Standing tall and defiant Gambler’s opponent was ready. Weapons drawn he was taking nothing for granted. He knew the King of Spades all to well and if there was an opening or miscalculation to exploit, the Cajun would. With his heightened senses no doubt the Spartan was already aware of Gambler’s presence. Taking out a hand full cards and shuffling them back and forth the Master of Manipulation smirked.

With each shuffle the cards began to glow brighter and brighter. Finally once they where juiced up with enough kinetic energy to drop the legendary Magneto himself, the Cajun flicked his wrist fanning the cards out in a spread formation. They cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. Some high others low.

As a Cheshire Cat grin swept across Gambler’s face he shouted out,

“Heads up!”

"Heads up!", a voice came from above. As The Spartan looked up, his eyes beheld the Cajun's deadly assault of charged cards. Each card came slicing through the air with deadly precision. Demetrius had very little time to react. Gathering his strength, he lept to the side out of the way. Planting his hands into the ground, he sprung up to his feet. Several cards began to detonate all around him. Feeling the shockwave of each explosion, The Spartan concentrated and maintained his balance. Then, through the smoke, another wave of charged cards flew directly at him in several different directions. Seeing as how the cards had begun to fan out vertically, The Spartan's best alternative was leap horizontally.

With cards detonating all around him, Demetrius dove horizontally. As he long body shot through the air, a charged card struck his midsection near the side of his ribcage. The blast which followed sent his body spinning to the side. Demetrius grimmaced as the impact tore the flesh in his side. The Spartan's back hit the ground with a loud THUD and slid back several yards.

Suddenly, the wound healed rapidly. The Spartan rose to his feet with a new look of sheer determination. Nothing was going to stand in his way of power - NOTHING. As adrenaline pumped throughout his body, his muscles became tightened, he reflexes were quickened, and his ruthlessness found all-new heights of power. A savage growl came from his throat as he picked up the blade that he had dropped. Now, the ultimate killing machine was going to do what he did best. Immediately, he took off in a run towards Gambler's position. Weaving back and forth in different patterns while he ran at incredible speeds, The Spartan lept up directly at the Cajun.

All that stood between them was an old flagpole. Demetrius had noticed it during his arrival. As he shot through the air towards the Cajun, The Spartan twisted his body around, grabbed the massive flagpole mid-air, ripped it out of the ground, then swung it around all in one fluid motion directly at The Cajun's body. The motion was perfectly executed in every way; but knowing the crafty Cajun, The Spartan knew that the fight had only just begun.

In a display of breathtaking acrobatics the Spartan dove in and out of several potentially fatal blows. The rocky base of Alcatraz was peppered with small explosions as each card the Spartan had avoided erupted in a blaze of purple aura and debris. But not even the sheer footed warrior could dodge them all as one slammed into his midsection sending his body skipping across the ground until finally coming to rest by the waters edge. However the Spartan’s grimace of pain soon turned to a look of anger and determination as his wound quickly healed.

Planting his foot in the ground the King of Clubs charged towards the facility. Utilizing his warriors training taught to him by some of the worlds most famous military and strategic minds, he weaved from side to side making it impossible to lock on his location. With power and grace he sprang into the air grasping the prison’s flag pole and ripping it from the ground and swinging it at the bewildered Cajun in one motion.

Caught off guard the makeshift weapon slammed into Gambler’s stomach instantly knocking the wind out of him. The force in which the King of Kings was struck with was so great it sent his body twisting through the air and off the other side of the roof. Shredded by the razor sharp edges of the rocks below, the Cajun left a trail of blood from the spot where he first landed to the area he ended up at.

Defiantly the Master of Manipulation got back to his feet and smiled. The Spartan was playing for keeps as the idea of running the illustrious HFC was to much for him to pass up. He was in to deep now to turn back, it was all or nothing. If he where to lose the HFC would turn their backs on him making him an outcast. His only option was to defeat the King of Kings and assume the leadership role. A task that was easier said then done.

Without hesitation the Cajun broke into a superhuman sprint towards the wall of the prison. Just as he closed in he flipped forwards planting one foot on the wall and vaulting himself up. Using the street technique of Parkour he one handed the railing on the roof performing a handstand before rounding it off and landing on his feet. After flashing the Spartan his trademark smile and wink Gambler charged. His movements mimicked that of Andfrene as he ran across the rooftop.

The Cajun then launched himself in the air waiting until he reached the apex of his jump before twisting his body into a butterfly kick. His legs where fully extended as in mid air his body started to drift horizontally, bringing one leg over the top aimed for Spartan’s head with the other closely behind it. With incredible balance the King of Spades landed on the same foot he had taken off from. Instantly dropping and supporting his body with one hand, the Cajun used his momentum to transition into a spinning leg sweep attempt before twirling back up to his feet and back flipping away to create separation.

Both men where playing for keeps and there would be no holding back from either combatants. Control of the most powerful group on the Vine hung in the balance as the two Kings of the Inner Circle clashed in what was shaping up to be an epic confrontation.

The blow from the flagpole had sent Gambler flying into the jagged rocks by the sea. A trail of blood could be traced to the Cajun's position. Immediately, The Spartan took on the role of the hunter as he slowly walked towards the fallen and bloodied Cajun. All along, Demetrius kept his wits about him as he slowly moved towards his weakened prey. However, before The Spartan left the roof, Gambler was already back up onto his feet and was racing with incredible speed towards him.

Raising his hands up, Demetrius was ready for whatever came next. Suddenly, Gambler lept into the air and performed a devastating butterfly kick. The first kick came down right upon The Spartan's skull, turning his head slightly to the right. Then, the second kick connected as well, as Gambler's heel drove into the powerful Greek's neck. The force thereof was so powerful that it knocked one of Demetrius' bones in his neck out of alignment. As Gambler landed on one hand and spun back up, The Spartan grabbed his own neck and shoved it back into alignment. A loud cracking noise came up. Now, The Spartan's adrenaline was building quicker than ever. The strength which he now wielded had increased exponentially.

As Gambler smoothly flipped backwards to gain distance, The Spartan lunged powerfully. Making his body like a bullet, the battle-hardened Greek raised his fist and struck downwards directly at the Cajun's skull. The blow would kill a normal man. There was no holding back. The Spartan would now utilize all tactics for a precise kill or paralyzing attack. Then, he would finish off his prey at his leisure. Flying through the air, The Spartan's mighty fist came right at his target just as Gambler was recovering his back flip.

The educated feet of the crafty Cajun landed with flawless execution. However the healing factor of the immortal Spartan instantly kicked in allowing him to re-adjust his neck with a sickening snap. Just as the athletically gifted mutant came out of his flip, the offensive minded Spartan was there delivering a thunderous punch aimed for the Cajun’s skull.

Acting purely on instinct Gambler’s photographic reflexes took over. Subtly he shifted his body to the left in a mirror image of Last Arrow narrowly avoiding the deadly haymaker. In the same motion the King of King’s spun around in a 360 utilizing the movements of Akira Overdrive while attempting to deliver the heroes patented round house kick. Effortlessly the leader of the HFC jumped backwards floating through the air in a perfect reverse swan pose, before suddenly flipping his body over and unleashing several kinetically charged cards as he dropped off the roof.

Without waiting to see if any of his attacks had landed the Cajun made his way into the heart of the abandoned prison. Neither warrior had sustained much damage but the Cajun had already cataloged several of the Spartan’s moves, adding them to his ever growing list of copied styles. If he survived they would prove most effective against some of the elite fighters on the Vine. Arrogantly Gambler took a seat in the cafeteria and waited for his fellow HFC teammate to arrive.

There had been a time when the sheer power of the Spartan intimidated Gambler, but after his recent fights with Andfrene and the Living Weapon Morte Rapida, the sinister villain considered himself untouchable. So far the King of King’s offense onslaught had been useless, but Gambler always had a trick or two up his sleeve, when and where to use these tricks, that was the hard part. Change was upon the Hellfire Club. Would they except Spartan as their leader? Would they except Gambler’s exile of Spartan without the votes of the Inner Circle? Either way nothing would be the same again.

The Spartan's attack had missed its intended mark. Mid-air, he watched as Gambler's photographic reflexes allowed his to almost effortlessly dodge the blow. Then, the crafty Cajun leapt off the roof and hurled several charged cards. With that, Demetrius lept into the air and avoided the onslaught. Diving to the side, he went behind an air unit. When he looked up, Gambler was nowhere to be seen. Obviously, he must have run inside the prison.

The cards had severley damaged the roof in several places and the structural integrety of it was unstable. The Spartan then walked to the very center of the enormous roof, planted his feet, then shot his body upwards. Tucking his arms down to his side, he streamlined his body as it flew through the air. When he had reached his peak, over thousands of feet in the air, his rapid descent began. As Demetrius flew down towards the roof, he raised his fist to deliver one of the mightiest blows he had ever made. The moment his fist hit the roof, the sound could be heard miles away back on the mainland and a shockwave eminated.

Crashing through the roof, The Spartan plunged deep into the center of the prison - devastating everything around. He had taken down entire mountains in the past; this prison was no different. The ground shifted as the mighty Greek landed his blow upon the structure. Immediately, windows shattered, concrete split, and the walls of the imposing Alcatraz came down all around. All that was left was a crater in the middle of the island, accompanied by countless debris and wreckage. Suddenly, the wreckage began to stir and The Spartan's fists both shot out of it - followed by his massive body. With a look of determination and a lust for power and glory, nothing would stand in his way.

The mighty Greek looked around and sniffed the air. Indeed, the Cajun's scent was found. It was close indeed. Grabbing onto a massive piece of wreckage, The Spartan threw it aside and began his search for Gambler. Now, the hunt was on. Looking carefully and following the Cajun's scent, the Spartan made his way through the wreckage towards his goal - the blood of Gambler.

As Gambler sat awaiting the arrival of his opponent he chuckled. Playing back the first few moments of the fight in his mind he realized just how far he’d come as a fighter. Spartan’s attacks weren’t slow by any means, yet he had dodged them with relative ease. His reflexes and agility had never been sharper as they where right now. After his confrontation with the Living Weapon, Morte Rapida, Gamber had elevated his game to a whole nother level. Again his arrogance began to wash over him as he considered himself unbeatable. Suddenly chunks of concrete started to chip away from the ceiling before a massive thunderous roar blew out the windows at the same time collapsing the walls.

The ceiling caved in causing a cloud of dust a rolling smoke. As it started to clear Gambler had remained in his seat, his hands held above his head holding several large pieces of the roof with his Telekinesis. He let the debris fall harmlessly behind him as he looked around the area in amazement. The entire prison had been destroyed leaving behind the hollowed out remains of the once mighty facility.

“Impressive” the Cajun thought to himself.

With one mighty punch the hulking Spartan had brought down Alcatraz. Off in the distance some rubble began to shift and move as the King of Clubs emerged from underneath. He was undaunted in his quest for leadership as a look of determination was plastered on his face. Smirking as he took out his Vibranuim bo-staff, the King of King’s called out to his opponent,

“Whats dee matter? You no like dee color?” he joked

Twirling the staff between his fingers the Cajun took an offensive position as he looked to put the Spartan away for good. In one fluent and graceful motion he took off across the large concrete remains of the prison, barely touching the ground as he went. As he closed the gap he suddenly paused as he twirled his staff up into the air while shooting his hands forward. Using his TK he levitated two halves of broken wall, one on either side of the Spartan, before clasping his hands together trying to capture his deadly foe in the middle.

His staff fell from the air back into his hand as he bounced on his toes awaiting his opponents counter attack. Gambler’s senses where at an all time high. He wasn’t fighting for power or to make a name for himself. For the first time he was actually fighting for something he cared for. The HFC was his creation, his dynasty. He had sacrificed much to build his team of elite villains, going toe to toe with the legendary Magneto and his Vine Villains. Now the Spartan looked to obtain all the Cajun had worked so hard to build. A cocky smirk swept across his face the more he thought about it.

“You think your just gonna stroll in here and take my legacy? Son I tell you what I tell dhem all…….You ain’t got what it takes.”

Demetrius watched as the two bits of the broken wall headed straight for him. It had all come to this. Gambler had truly made a legacy with the Hellfire Club. Now, The Spartan had arrived and was prepared to take it away. Indeed, for so long The Spartan had supported Gambler's leadership. Behind the Cajun's back, there were many who wanted to revolt. They had grown tired of the same tactics used over and over again by Gambler. They hated how he ran things and wanted to see a change. Time and time again, members came to The Spartan and were ready to embrace his leadership. However, time and time again, he would tell them to support Gambler. He himself had supported the Cajun so many times. This time, things were different. The Spartan embraced the call to power. He didn't care how Gambler felt about the HFC. It was time for a new power to come about.

Still, the walls came flying at The Spartan at amazing speeds. Therefore, he braced himself for the impact. As the walls crashed together on his body, it looked as if The Spartan was crushed between them. Underneath it all, he was holding the walls apart with his bare hands. Looking up, he saw Gambler twirling his staff and laughing to himself. "You think you're just gonna stroll in here and take my legacy? Son, I tell you what I tell dem all.......You ain't got what it takes." the sly Cajun said. Did he just call The Spartan "son"? The Spartan was over two thousand years old and that had been a first. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, Demetrius came back with his reply.

"Someday, I'll die...........but not today." he said in a dominant, commanding tone. Suddenly, he took the two pieces of fallen walls with his bare hands and clapped them together over the Cajun's position in an attepmt to crush Gambler. Shaking his head, The Spartan stepped back to see what his handy work. "You honestly think you can beat me? Son, I've killed more men in my lifetime than you ever have. Look Boy, I've crushed beings superior to you in every way. How pathetic........... You disgust me."

Drawing his legendary adamantium blade, The Spartan was ready for whatever was coming next. Confidently, he stepped back. Somehow, he knew that the Cajun obviously was going to have some way of coming back.

The two halves slammed together with Spartan caught in between them. There was a brief pause in the action before Spartan grabbed both halves using his tremendous strength to pick them up. As he swung both chunks of concrete at Gambler’s head, the Cajun leaned back performing a backbend as the walls smashed above him. Yet again his superior speed and reflexes had avoided another power attack launched by the Spartan.

As the King of Kings rolled backwards to gain separation he heard the over confident King of Clubs yell out,

You honestly think you can beat me? Son, I've killed more men in my lifetime than you ever have. Look Boy, I've crushed beings superior to you in every way. How pathetic........... You disgust me.

Instantly Gambler laughed as he got to his feet. He could hardly believe what he was hearing from his former teammate.

“Tis a shame no one knows of these great deeds oh killer of men. All I’ve ever seen of the mighty Spartan is someone who drinks more then they fight.”

Gambler smiled as he taunted his opponent. There was no longer any reason to mince words or hold tongues.

“Is dis it? The great tactical genius I’ve heard so much about? I could have dodged dat last attack wit my eyes closed.”

But one thing was becoming clear, the durability of the Spartan was becoming a problem. His attacks had been simplistic but had more raw power behind them then any opponent he had ever faced. One thing Gambler had that the Spartan didn’t was his ranged attacks. But sooner of later he would run out of cards and then he would have to get resourceful. The two warriors stood in their specialized stances each one waiting for the other to make that fatal mistake.

It soon became clear though that neither man would falter, neither man was going to slip up and give the other that all important opening. So the Cajun decided to exploit the speed differential. After crouching down on all fours and charging Spartan in the form of the wild beast like Ketch, Gambler created an angle of attack. Using the Malaysian martial arts practice of “Silat Buah” the Cajun unleashed a flurry of acrobatic leg kicks. His body spun around in a 180 as he attempted a reverse thrust kick aimed for the Spartan’s throat. As his momentum carried his body around full circle his technique instantly switched to that of “Pateleira,” the Portuguese art of close quarter combat. His right elbow came around again aimed at the Spartan’s throat. His movements where fast and accurate as he attempted to crush the wind pipe of his former friend.

In the same motion the Cajun took out the Ace of Spades and Two of Hearts, charged them, and dropped them at the feet of his enemy before leaping back into a series of backhandsprings as the cards exploded. The Cajun’s moves had been stylized from countless encounters with the likes of Akira Overdrive, Nighthunter, and Renegade Lantern. The only man ever taught by the Living Weapon himself. Gambler had become an offensive juggernaut and further more, he knew it. The Spartan was gonna have to bring his game to another level if he hoped to rip the leadership of the Hellfire Club away from the Master of Manipulation.

Standing there with the tip of his blade on the ground, The Spartan prepared for what was about to come. He watched the over-confident Gambler easily elude his strike, and then proceed to taunt. It was all so ironic. Studying the Cajun's past battles, he had noticed Gambler's photographic reflexes and amazing speed. The Spartan had purposefully not used many speed attacks. In the end, he knew that the Cajun would be brought down by pride. Now was the point where Demetrius saw him begin to move.

Moving at those incredible speeds, Gambler charged him head-on. Just as Lebeau attempted several deadly kicks, The Spartan threw in some speed of his own. Demetrius had been saving it and had only been showing Gambler what his raw power could do. Then, and Gambler was mid-air with his kicks, The Spartan kicked up his adamantium blade and held the back of the sword, blocking his entire upper body from his head to his waist. The edge of the blade was pointed towards the Cajun. Gambler was moving so fast that he probably did not even realize what he was kicking. As Gambler's feet hit against the adamantium blade, the vibrations travelled through into the handle from the impacts. After Gambler delivered an elbow strike at The Spartan's throat, his elbow crashed against the adamantium.

Finally, two charged cards were dropped at the Spartan's feet as the Cajun raced back. Moving at those speeds, it would take a few seconds before Gambler had realized the damage that he had done to himself. He had most-likely broken a few bones in his foot, perhaps even his shin from the impact. And the elbow might have been fractured as well. This was the strategy that made The Spartan famous. It was the entire reason he drew his sword in the first place - not to attack, but to block. However, he didn't have much time to gloat. Two cards were dropped at his feet and blocking Gambler's attacks had put him off-balance.

They suddenly detonated. The blast scorched and tore some of the Spartan's hardened flesh as he was thrown back. Flying back into a pile of debris, The Spartan leapt back to his feet. Demetrius turned his head to the side with a sickening crack. Rising to his feet, the burns and lascerations healed instantly. With a smile, he looked at the Cajun. Any moment now, Gambler would feel the damage done to his bones. The Spartan reached down and picked up his sword, gripped it tightly, and waited for the Cajun's next attack.

"Is that all you got? If it is, then I'm afraid 'You ain't got what it takes' to beat me, boy."

Gambler had launched into a series of attacks using his superb fighting techniques and speed. Yet somehow the Spartan managed to use his sword in an attempt to block the Cajun’s offensive flurry. Only a fool would attack a sword when he had the reflexes and speed to adjust, and Gambler was no fool. His kicks where pulled as was his elbow before flipping backwards to create separation. Again the Spartan was caught in an explosion and again his healing factor saved his life.

The Cajun smirked as he watched his opponent get to his feet and speak,

Is that all you got? If it is, then I'm afraid 'You ain't got what it takes' to beat me, boy.

Mockingly the King of Kings yawned. Apparently the Spartan had lost track of his goal. Gambler didn’t need to defeat Spartan, in fact it was just the opposite. In order for the Spartan to lay claim to the illustrious Hellfire Club, he would need to kill Gambler. Anything less wouldn’t matter.

“Haahahaha beat you? Beat you? I don’t need to beat you immortal, you have nothing I want. I gain nothing from your death. In fact, I’m making you famous merely be indulging in this farce of a battle. I’ve bested you in skill, I’ve bested you in ability. You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.” Laughed the Master of Manipulation.

The Hellfire Club would never follow such a one dimensional warrior. Or so believed the King of Kings. Spartan picked up his sword and again waited for the Cajun to attack. His defense was solid and now he had shown the leader of the HFC that he indeed held some semblance of speed in his arsenal. The flashy acrobatic offense Gambler had unveiled had done little in the way of damaging his enemy. But on the other hand the Spartan’s broad base power attacks where easily avoided by the much quicker King of Spades. There was no doubt in the Cajun’s mind that without the healing factor this battle would have been over already.

“Well, its been fun Spartan” smirked the arrogant leader.

He dropped his bo-staff to his side before flashing his hand forward toward the Spartan. Obviously his attacks to the outside of the hulking warrior's body had no affect other then wasting time. But now the Cajun was attempting to use his Telekinesis to crush the heart of his enemy. It wasn’t as flashy or stylish as his other offensive displays, but he was curious to see how the confident Spartan would get out of this one.

Post Edited:2008-05-23 03:00:08

Immediately, The Spartan felt something go wrong - his chest tightened up. Looking ahead, he saw Gambler's hand outstretched towards him. The Cajun had sunk to new depths to defeat his enemy and hold onto his title. The telekinesis was something that Demetrius was well-aquainted with. Rising to his feet, he moved towards the Cajun. Using his incredible strength and stamina, The Spartan wouldn't let this get in his way. As his heart was being compressed, his blood pumped faster and faster and his adrenaline reached all-new levels.

As he moved, he coughed some. Then, a few feet away from Gambler, Demetrius fell to his knees and looked up with his teeth grit, breathing heavily. Struggling to stay alive, he placed one foot on the ground, attempted to rise, but fell once more. This wasn't the end of him. The mighty Spartan would NOT be done in by a cheap trick such as this. All he could do was wait for the Cajun's move......

Amazingly the battle tested Spartan began walking towards Gambler. In an act of pure will and perseverance the warrior fought through the pain and agony refusing to go down. But even the mighty Spartan had limits and as he closed the gap between the two he collapsed to his knees, coughing but still remaining defiant. As a Spartan warrior he deserved an honorable chance to defend his life. To bad for him the Cajun was anything but honorable.

Using his agility the Cajun backfliped away from his downed opponent before resuming his telekinetic assault on his heart. The Spartan was a tactical genius and the King of Kings wouldn’t give him the chance to try something in a last ditch effort. Now with even more space and separation he flashed his other hand forward attempting to apply even more pressure on his enemies heart.

“You come after me in hopes of a glories and honorable battle? Did you really think I would stand in front of you and trade shots? I should have ended dis battle along time ago, but I had hoped you’d come to your senses. I was wrong.”

The Spartan had been an asset to the HFC but he wasn’t irreplaceable. An example needed to be made and the Cajun knew just how to make it. He continued to manipulate his hands hoping his TK would crush the heart of his enemy and finally put an end to this conflict.

Noticing how the Cajun was keeping his distance, The Spartan needed to maintain constant awareness. Closing his eyes briefly, he monitored and began to control his breathing. As Gambler continued the vicious assault on Demetrius' powerful heart, The Spartan rose to his feet one last time. Grabbing onto a steel door to a cell, he threw it across the wreckage towards Gambler with incredible speed. It was meant as a distraction. The Spartan knew that the Cajun would most-likely dodge the attack.

Just then, with his adrenaline fueled and his heart struggling to keep beating, The Spartan broke out in a quick sprint. Sprinting ahead of the thrown object with amazing quickness, he leapt up onto a piece of the wall that was still standing then lunged for the Cajun. With his blade gleaming, The Spartan's body shot like a bullet towards Gambler. His entire life had led up to this moment. This was the ultimate test for glory and fame. Nothing would stand in his way now.

Flying though the air, he thrust his blade directly at the Cajun....

Unbelievably the Spartan refused to die. Instead, in what could only be described as breathtaking, the warrior sprang to his feet while ripping one of the cell doors from its hinges. With blinding speed he hurled the metal door at the King of Kings. The move caused Gambler to break his hold in order to react to the flying object. Using his photographic reflexes he jumped into the air mimicking the movements of Last Arrow as he spun himself into a corkscrew flip.

However the door had been nothing more then a distraction and as the Cajun landed he realized he had played into the Spartan’s hand. With his own brand of speed the Spartan lunged, blade extended, towards the unsuspecting leader of the HFC. Just as Gambler turned he felt the cold Adamantium blade pierce his stomach as it plunged into his midsection.

The normally arrogant look of the Cajun was no replaced with a look of pain and disbelief. He slowly slid of the end of the Spartan’s blade leaving behind a thick crimson colored film. All it had taken was a split second and one misstep for the former King of Clubs to capitalize. Quickly the Cajun slightly charged his hand as he used it to cauterize the wound shut.

Even though the pain was numbing Gambler resumed his telekinetic assault on his enemy. It had been the one weakness the Cajun could exploit and he wasn’t about to give up on it now. Again his hand flashed forward attempting to crush the lifeforce of the Spartan.