Famine smirked and feigned a tip-of-the-cap gesture in response.

Slaughter whipped his head back to Bernie, his smile melding into the bared implements of savagery. A guttural roar emerged from the depths of him, from vocal cords seemingly altogether separate from his speaking ones – altogether inhuman. He was a blur of fangs and claws as his musculature smoothly propelled his massive frame over the table toward Bernie, arms and legs splayed. The potential energy one would have drawn from a gather prior to such a maneuver was noticeably absent, as if the momentum was the result of a mere flick of foot and ankle.

Bernie, sharp with instinct, shoved his chair from under himself and laid his body backward, placing his hands on the floor to support his torso. He then kicked the table forward and scuttled underneath the advancing Slaughter in a jerky crab-walk motion. The staff and few patrons remaining were astounded by the flexibility and strength of such an older man as they scurried for the exit. Slaughter, having overshot, planted his hands and twisted his body with the momentum, turning the pounce into a somersault. Slaughter had stuck the landing but Bernie had recovered quickly and charged toward him, channeling all his might into a shoulder strike, which sent the red beast flying, then crashing into a wall, spilling furniture in route. The impact shot a vertical crack up the brick wall and dropped slaughter to kneel on one hand and knee, but that was all. He was back to his feet and seething the next moment. Slaughter charged back at Bernie, his arms swiping furiously with successive strikes. Bernie dodged left and right, evading the attacks until Slaughter’s swooping claw finally tore through an inch of his chest and abdomen flesh. Bernie partially slumped with the pain and let down his defenses momentarily as Slaughter slammed a huge straight fist into his body, propelling him into the counter; an audible bone crunch resulted from the impact. Famine was preparing a cappuccino behind him as he pushed himself back onto his feet. He drew in the deepest controlled breath he could manage between the gasps. Seemingly, in unison with the inhalation, the skin on is torso grasped for itself from either side of the gashes, intertwining like