"So the boss finally comes out to play..."
Murphy muttered against the screaming wind, crouching low to maintain his balance on the deck of the transporter, now tearing down the highway at over 120 kilometers per hour. The landscape blurred into streaks of grey.
Before him, the driver's cabin door was ripped open, revealing the hulking silhouette of 'Butch,' Kaiman's ruthless right-hand man. He was a mountain of muscle, veins bulging like cords, with jet-black chain tattoos wrapped around both arms like demonic bindings.
But the most terrifying thing wasn't his muscles... it was the "Giant Sledgehammer" in his right hand.
The head was a reinforced concrete block the size of an air compressor tank. The handle was a modified driveshaft from a heavy truck. It weighed enough to flatten a sedan in a single blow, yet Butch dragged it with one hand as if it were a broomstick, sparks flying as the concrete scraped against the steel deck.
"You took out three of my grunts..." Butch grinned, revealing gold-capped teeth. "Hope your bones are tougher than theirs!"
WHOOSH—!!!
Without warning, Butch swung the massive hammer horizontally. The sound of tearing air was horrifying. The pressure from the sheer mass of the weapon made Murphy's skin crawl. His instincts screamed: "DO NOT BLOCK!"
"Dodge it, Murphy!!" Philip's voice crackled over the wind from the pickup truck below.
Murphy dropped flat to the deck instantly. The hammer swept inches above his head, the wind pressure stinging his cheek enough to draw blood.
CRASH—!!!
Missing its target, the hammer smashed into the truck's steel guardrail. The two-inch-thick steel was ripped apart and sent flying into the air like wet paper.
"Monster strength!" Murphy cursed, springing up and dashing forward to close the distance. "At this range, I'm dead meat. I need to get inside!"
"Trying to tunnel in? Amateur!"
Butch read the move perfectly. Instead of swinging the hammer back, he jabbed the solid steel handle (Pommel Strike) into Murphy's gut with shocking speed.
Urgh!
The steel end rammed into Murphy's solar plexus. Even though he managed to raise his arms to guard, the impact sent him skidding backward across the deck. The energy gauge on his bracer spiked from green to YELLOW in a blink.
"Just one hit..." Murphy gritted his teeth, tasting iron in his mouth. "And my battery is already half full?"
"Die, you little rat!"
Butch raised the hammer high overhead for a vertical smash, intending to flatten Murphy against the deck like a cockroach.
In this split second of life and death, Murphy knew his legs were too numb to dodge, and blocking head-on would shatter his arm and Philip's gadget.
The only way out... was a gamble.
"Philip! Ram the back of the truck! Floor it!" Murphy yelled into his radio.
"What!? Are you crazy!? We'll wreck the car!"
"JUST DO IT!!"
VROOOM—!!!
The old pickup's engine roared. Philip stomped on the accelerator. The truck shot forward like a bullet toward the rear of the giant transporter.
THUD—!!!
The impact shook the massive vehicle violently. Butch, mid-swing, stumbled forward, losing his footing. The downward momentum of the hammer faltered for a fraction of a second.
"NOW!"
Murphy didn't hesitate. He slammed the 'Overdrive' button on his bracer.
HISSSSSS—!!!
Steam vents erupted. Scalding vapor blasted from the bracer, propelling Murphy's right fist forward like a hydraulic piston. His target wasn't Butch's face... but the 'Hammer Shaft' where Butch's grip had loosened.
"Full Counter... REFLECT!"
CLANG—!!!
The fist, charged with hydraulic pressure and kinetic energy, slammed into the steel shaft. A visible shockwave rippled through the air.
The massive recoil force caused the giant hammer to bounce back with even greater velocity. The handle and concrete head whipped around, smashing directly into Butch's own chest!
Gah!
The sound of cracking ribs was audible even over the wind. Butch's massive frame was blown backward like a kite with a cut string, crashing into the truck's windshield and shattering it. The hammer clattered to the floor.
"Ouch... felt that one myself," Murphy shook his numb hand, white smoke curling from his red-hot bracer. "That was all your own strength, big guy."
"You... you little sh*t!"
Butch struggled to push himself up, fresh blood streaming down his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot with murder. "I'll... tear you apart!"
But before Butch could reach for his weapon, Murphy kicked the hammer off the moving truck, then turned back with a cocky grin. The prey had become the predator.
"Sorry, big guy. Bonus round is over..."
Murphy sprinted, leaped into the air, and extended both legs in a devastating Drop Kick.
"Go talk to the asphalt!"
THUD!
His heels slammed into the center of Butch's chest, launching the ruthless enforcer off the edge of the speeding transporter.
ARGGHHHH—!
Butch's scream faded as his body hit the unforgiving road, tumbling violently into the dust and distance behind them.
Murphy collapsed onto the deck, panting heavily. His right arm trembled uncontrollably, radiating heat like a furnace. The energy gauge on his bracer flashed a warning RED and beeped frantically.
"Philip... pick me up," Murphy rasped into the radio. "My arm... is cooked for a while."