The End of the Claw

At a wrestling ring at a gymnasium, “Firestorm” Johnathan Mills bounces back and forth in the ring from ropes to ropes. He stops from time to time to look at the entrance to the locker rooms, but sighs and does more drills.

Eventually, he sees Marcus Anderson walk out of the locker room with Tarrasque not far behind. Johnathan stops doing drills and leans on the top rope as Marcus walks up.

Mills: When I was told I was going to get a sparring partner to train for my match, I did not expect it to be him, but I’m glad to see you.

Tarrasque steps into the ring, giving Johnathan a hard look.

Tarrasque: What you did was wrong.

Mills: What I did?

Anderson: You did something wrong?

Mills: Not that I’m aware of.

Tarrasque grins as he gets into a fighting stance, drool coming off of his chin.

Tarrasque: You hurt man. Him was bad, but you not hurt him in ring. Bad.

Johnathan just shrugs.

Mills: Shall we get on with this?

Tarrasque: Okay.

Johnathan Mills and Tarrasque lock up. Johnathan taking the advantage to send Tarrasque into the ropes. On the rebound, Tarrasque clotheslines Johnathan to the mat hard enough that he bounces.

Johnathan jumps back to his feet, but is grabbed by Tarrasque, and hurled across the ring where Johnathan lands in a roll back to his feet. He hits the ropes and comes back, ducking another clothesline as he does a drop toe hold. Johnathan jumps back up to his feet, but is met by Tarrasque, who seizes him by the throat. He lifts Johnathan into the air with one hand.

Tarrasque: Where Claw? Claw bad!

Tarrasque choke slams Johnathan to the mat. Johnathan rolls away and to a squat as he looks at Tarrasque. Johnathan is starting to look mad.

Mills: Why? I created the Claw. It’s mine to do with as I will!

Johnathan lunges at Tarrasque, striking him in the side of the head with an elbow strike that barely even affects the giant of a man. Tarrasque catches Johnathan by the arm as he goes past and whips him into the ropes. On the rebound, Tarrasque stands as a brick wall that Johnathan bounces off of and hits the mat.

Tarrasque: Claw make you bad. You not bad.

Mills: The claw make me strong! There is no bad or good, only strong and weak. You know that!

Marcus Anderson paces at ringside, looking concerned as he watches the action in the ring.

Anderson: What’s this claw thing that Tarrasque is talking about?

Johnathan kicks Tarrasque in the sprained ankle, sending him to the mat. Johnathan grabs Tarrasque by the head and hits several knee strikes to the face.

Mills: The claw is strength! The claw is power!

Johnathan casts Tarrasque to the side, blood splattering all over the place from the broken nose. Johnathan goes for a standing moonsault double stomp, but Tarrasque rolls out of the way for Johnathan to land on his feet. Johnathan spins around and kicks Tarrasque in the gut. Tarrasque rolls away and to his feet.

Tarrasque: Me am strong, you strong. Claw bad!

Mills: No!

Johnathan jumps at Tarrasque, aiming for a hurricanrana, but it gets converts into a power bomb by Tarrasque. Johnathan lays crumpled on the mat while groaning. He holds out his right hand as if expecting something. Tarrasque looks at him with his head cocked.

Tarrasque: What you doing?

A case at ringside pops open and the gauntlet flies through the air to land neatly on his hand as Tarrasque is reaching for him. Lightning streams from the gauntlet’s fingertips to strike Tarrasque in the chest, sending him flying across the ring to slam into the corner where Tarrasque twitches with a burn mark on his chest.

Marcus slams his hands on the ring apron with a shout.

Anderson: What the Hell, Johnathan?

Johnathan stands up, lightning arcing from his fingertips as he begins to walk toward Tarrasque. A mania begins to enter his eyes.

Mills: You feel my power now, beast? Of course I’m strong! Of course I will win my matches!

Tarrasque stands up from the corner, but is struck in the chest with lightning again that sends him back against the corner. To his credit, Tarrasque does not cry out in pain, but grits his teeth.

Mills: Submit to my power! Show the world that the Firestorm is the strongest!

Anderson: Johnathan, stop!

Tarrasque stands up yet again. Lightning strikes him again, but this time he doesn’t fall. He takes excruciating step by excruciating step until he grabs Johnathan by the gauntlet.

Mills: You won’t take my power!

Tarrasque rips the gauntlet off of Johnathan’s hand. The energy from the gauntlet stopping dead. Before Johnathan can react, he’s spun around from behind where Marcus Anderson hits a lifting reverse sto.

Johnathan is dazed, but conscious enough to be able to watch on helplessly as the gauntlet is crushed in Tarrasque’s meaty hands.

Mills: Nooooooooooooooooo!

Marcus looks at the downed Johnathan with a sigh.

Anderson: Call us when you want a real sparring partner. I’m going to take Tarrasque to the hospital to get his burns checked out.

Johnathan Mills lays on the mat as Marcus Anderson and Tarrasque exit to the locker room.

Mills: Fuuuuuuuuuuuck!