Isaac cracked his fist on Damien’s ribs. Damien growled and doubled over, but straightened up as Isaac threw his next blow. He caught the incoming fist, set his jaw, and twisted Isaac’s arm, sending him rolling through the air and smacking the wet cement roof of the skyscraper.

            Isaac wrenched his fist free, and spun about on his back, the abrasiveness tore his shirt as it twisted on the cement, and he landed a sharp sweeping kick to Damien’s shins that sent him crashing to the ground.

            They both stood to their feet. Blood seeped from Isaac’s back, Damien’s elbows. Cold rain fell on their heated bodies, steam rose from their shoulders and blood washed on the pavement. Lights twinkled in buildings all around them, artificial stars in a deep blackness that lie so far below them.

            “They’re garbage,” Damien said with a twitch of his jowls. He dashed forward, connecting a blazing punch into Isaac’s teeth. Isaac stumbled backwards, steadied himself, and spat red onto the roof.

            “They’re people!” Isaac shouted, he drew his arms up as Damien ran forward again. This time Damien sent a kick into his guts so hard he fell to the ground, gasping in rain as he sought air.

“The world is full of animals,” Isaac said as he rose to his feet, wobbling and holding his chest.

”But you’re a monster.” Damien snorted in derision, then walked up to Isaac’s doubled over figure. He grunted, grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt and his belt, lifted him over his head with a roar and slammed him on the cement, sending a splash of water and blood into the air.

“I won’t let you kill them,” Isaac said, his voice weak, wobbling with agony.

            Damien smirked, then pulled a small black device from his pocket.

            Isaac’s breath caught in his throat, and he rolled to his feet. He tackled Damien, driving his head to his windpipe and slamming him into the roof. The device skidded out of reach.

            “Oh, it’s only downtown.” Damien said, furrowing his brow and swiping aside Isaac’s restraining arms. “The homeless. Gang members. The back end of society, and you’re lucky it’s only them,” Damien rose to his feet.

            “Only them?” Isaac asked, shaking his head. “They’re people.”

            “They’re trash,” Damien said, staring Isaac down.

Isaac narrowed his eyes, then sprang forward. He rammed Damien in the sternum with a shoulder, then berated him with punches. Over and over he connected onto his head, his stomach, his back, thick pummeling noises filled the air, the cracking of his knuckles. Damien curled up, only to have Isaac grab him by the back of the neck and send a knee crashing into his nose. There was a crunch, and blood exploded on Isaac’s knee and spilled on the cement.

Damien doubled over, blood pouring from his nose all over his hands as he held his mangled face. Isaac grabbed the hair on the back of Damien’s head and shoved his face nose-to-nose with Damien’s.

 “You’re trash,” Isaac said, shoving Damien down. He trembled with fury now, and sent soccer kicks that made his hamstrings hurt into Damien’s back.

Isaac stopped his onslaught, breathing hard, and knelt down next to the convulsing Damien. His voice rose to a snarl. “You aren’t strong enough to overcome adversity. So you want to get rid of it.”

Isaac stood up, looking down on the crushed figure. He shook his head and stepped over to the device, crushing it. Electricity cracked beneath his foot.

As he stepped to turn around, a massive force hit him in the back, and he was shoved face first into the stone. He spun around, and Damien stood over him, red smears all over his face, his clothes, running down his arms. His teeth gnashed, his neck vibrated as he growled, an animal in frenzy.

Isaac couldn’t escape the punishment that erupted. Damien’s shouts filled the air, his fists rained from above and struck Isaac in the mouth, the cheeks, the neck. Isaac felt his throat begin to close up. His vision began to blur. Damien stepped over him, reared up his foot, and in a heart stopping moment stomped down on his face.

Isaac went blind for a moment, choked on his blood, stiffened up. The stomp had left him numb for a moment, and in his body’s inactivity, his mind exploded with commotion. An image of his buddy kicked back on the couch with a pack of soda, his cellphone ringing over and over as his mother’s mascara ran down her face and called him. The sunrise.

He rolled to his feet, adrenaline pumped through his quadriceps and shoulders like a second heartbeat, and he dodged the second head-stomp. Damien swam before his vision, but still Isaac was able to threw a whirring head kick that connected with a wet smack. Damien staggered, giving Isaac a moment to gain his vision back and throw a swift uppercut, hitting Damien clean in the jaw.

Isaac watched his adversary wobble at the knees, and sprinted forward, picking him up in a full-body lock. He drove Damien all the way to the edge of the skyscraper, and held him by the cuff on his shirt over the infinite darkness.

A moment of quiet took hold. Isaac’s arms trembled. Damien hung limp from his grip, but looked up to reveal a black and purple face dripping with blood.

“When do I get to win?” Damien’s swollen face twitched as he spoke.

Isaac stared him down. “You don’t get to win if it means hurting people.” Isaac said, tightening his grip until his knuckles ached.

“They’d do better in a sad little slideshow on the news,” Damien said with a wicked smile.

Isaac growled and shook Damien over the edge, but he only laughed.

“But really now,” Damien said nodding downwards at the city. “When does the mess get out of hand?”

Isaac’s eyes widened as Damien pulled another detonator from his pocket.

His arms were getting sore.