Like A Bad Penny

'Jeez,' moaned Thomas as recovered from a vicious punch that had swept across his face, 'I am too old.'

'You should...' stuttered the young girl in front of him, her own face bloodied from the fighting, 'Have given us the money.'

Before Thomas could reply with his own punch, the thug collapsed face first into the ground, crashing through a table in a pile of splinters and wood.

All around him, the club had erupted. Not only were people joining the fight with a sickening glee but it was as if the sight of violence had uncaged the building passions from the cabaret show. Between the little groups of punching and kicking, people were stripping off and lunging for each other.

Not for Thomas.

Up on the stage, the young man was still chained and naked, furiously flailing as he desperately tried to join in the fighting. Calmly sifting through the mad crowd of sex and violence, Thomas arrived back on the stage.

'Could you get me down now?' asked Talon.

Without breaking eye contact, Thomas reached down between Talon's legs, Talon's eyes widening. But Thomas, with a smile, passed by Talon's precious jewels and to the dagger in the wall behind.

'You're not my type,' Thomas said jokingly, and slid the blade into the locks of the cuffs around Talon's wrists.

'You're not my either,' replied Talon, glancing over at the young woman wielding the whip, it's tails now turned on the crowds that were spilling over the seats in a lust for a fight and for a kiss.

'Glad we've got that out of the way,' said Thomas as he pushed down on the dagger and pried open the simple locks. Talon soon dropped to the floor and was free of his bonds.

'Thanks,' said Talon, 'And watch out.'

'Watch ou-?' said Thomas as a chair came crashing over his head, sending him to the floor, 'Jeez, you do one good thing and -'

Talon, finally free, leapt over to Thomas's assailant, spear tackling him off of the stage and into the swarming mess of bodies on the floor.

With the knife still gripped in his hand, Thomas made his way over to the young woman with the whip.

'A good evening for it, don't you think?' said Thomas as he slit the throat of someone stalking up behind Cass.

'A bit excessive, don't you think?' she said as she turned around to see the bleeding body of an old woman now twitching slightly on the floor in a deep red pool. 'Is there a reason you're back?'

'Back?' asked Thomas as he went back to back with Cass, a circle of cheering and whooping people of all ages beginning to form around the two. Some were brandishing makeshift weapons and were spoiling for a fight, some were as high as kites and only saw pretty colours, and some were frothing at the mouth. 'Speaking of excessive, don't you think that this whole thing is a bit excessive?'

'Yeah, a bit, quite surprised how out of hand it has gotten,' she replied and launched her whip at an approaching member of the audience, sending him reeling back to the safety of the crowded circle with only a few cuts on his arm. 'But don't avoid the question.'

'Who are you again?'

'Plisken, for smeg's sake, it's me, Cass!'

'I honestly have no idea who you are,' said Thomas, 'But do you think we could discuss it in detail after we have gotten out of here. However we are going to do that.'

'I've got an idea,' said Cass and she spun around, turning Thomas to face her, and planted a kiss on his lips, pulling him close despite Thomas's efforts to get away. The crowd around them began to quieten down as they turned to each other and either engaged with them or simply turned away as they lost their appetite for a fight.

And as quickly as the fighting in the club had come, it had gone. The bouncers were roughing up any of the especially troublesome troublemakers and showing them the exit, while most everyone else was either recovering or taking their seats once again.

'You guys can stop now,' said Claude, re-appearing again.