A Nightmare!

Debris rained down as Ned hit the ground hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs. He rolled, ignoring the burn of shattered glass cutting into his back, and sprang to his feet.

Kratos or whatever twisted version of him, loomed before him, a mountain of muscle and fury, twin blades gleaming in the flickering light of the burning building.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Combat protocols activated. Chances of survival: Detrimental. Current odds: 1.7%]

'Damn! So much for my hopes of surviving.' Ned thought, his training kicking in as his mind racing through options. Unarmed against an opponent with reach and raw power. Terrible odds, but he had to try.

Kratos lunged, blades whistling through the air.

'Shit, he's fast,' Ned ducked, feeling the heat as one passed inches from his face.

He pivoted, using Kratos's momentum against him, and drove an elbow into the bigger man's kidney. It was like hitting concrete.

Pain lanced up Ned's arm, but he pressed the advantage, grabbing Kratos's wrist and twisting, attempting to disarm him. For a split second, it seemed to work - then Kratos's other hand clamped down on Ned's shoulder, fingers digging in like steel claws.

Ned grunted, feeling something pop in his shoulder. He released Kratos's wrist and dropped, using his body weight to wrench free. The move cost him - Kratos's blade sliced across his back as he fell, leaving a burning line of pain.

Rolling to his feet, Ned assessed his options. Direct confrontation was suicide. He needed to use the environment.

Kratos charged again. This time, Ned waited until the last second before diving to the side. The massive warrior crashed into a partially collapsed wall, sending chunks of concrete flying. Ned seized a jagged piece, ignoring the way it cut into his palm, and hurled it at Kratos's face.

It connected with a satisfying crack, drawing blood. But Kratos barely seemed to notice. He whirled, blades slicing the air, and Ned barely managed to duck in time. He felt the wind of the passing blade, then white-hot pain as the return stroke caught him across the chest.

Gasping, Ned stumbled back. Blood soaked his shirt, but the cut wasn't deep. Not yet.

He needed a new tactic. His eyes darted around, landing on a length of exposed rebar jutting from a pile of rubble. Ned lunged for it, fingers closing around the rusty metal just as Kratos's boot connected with his ribs.

The kick sent Ned flying, ribs creaking ominously. He hit the ground hard, still clutching the rebar. Kratos was on him in an instant, blade descending in a killing arc.

Ned brought the rebar up, catching the blade between its twisted ends. The impact jarred his arms, nearly tearing the makeshift weapon from his grasp. But it held.

For a moment, they were locked in a contest of strength, Kratos bearing down with inhuman power. Ned's arms trembled, muscles screaming in protest. He couldn't win this - but he didn't have to.

With a yell of effort, Ned twisted, redirecting Kratos's blade to the side. It slammed into the concrete beside his head, sending up a shower of sparks. In that instant of imbalance, Ned drove his knee up, catching Kratos in the balls.

It was like kicking a brick wall, but it bought Ned a precious second. He scrambled away, each movement sending fresh waves of pain through his battered body. Blood dripped into his eyes from a cut on his forehead, and every breath was agony.

Kratos recovered quickly, yanking his blade free with a roar of frustration.

'I can't keep this up much longer.' He thought. His injuries were mounting, slowing him down. He needed to end this, one way or another.

"Why?" he croaked. "Why are you after us?"

Kratos's response was another swing of his blade. Ned rolled backwards, using a piece of fallen concrete as cover. His mind raced. He needed a plan, needed to think.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Chances of survival dropping rapidly. Current odds: 1.1%]

"Thanks for the update," Ned muttered. He glanced around, looking for anything he could use. His eyes landed on a length of another steel rebar jutting from a chunk of concrete.

As Kratos charged again, Ned stood his ground. At the last possible moment, he dropped, sliding between his legs. As he passed, he hooked the rebar around Kratos's ankle, pulling with all his remaining strength.

For an instant, it worked. Kratos stumbled, off-balance. But then his hand shot out, grabbing Ned by the throat and lifting him off the ground.

'Shit, I can't breathe,' Ned clawed at the iron grip, spots dancing in his vision as his lungs burned for air.

"This... this can't be how I go out."

With his last reserves of strength, he swung the rebar, connecting solidly with Kratos's temple.

The grip loosened, and Ned fell, gasping and retching.

But a kick to the chest sent Ned flying, crashing into a half-collapsed wall. Pain exploded across his back, and he tasted blood.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Multiple contusions detected. Possible internal bleeding. Chances of survival now 0.9%]

"Shut up," Ned groaned, forcing himself to his feet. His vision swam, but he could see Kratos approaching, slow and inevitable.

"You know," Ned said, spitting blood, "I'm starting to think you don't like me very much."

Kratos didn't respond, didn't even seem to register the words. He just kept coming, an unstoppable force of destruction.

Ned forced himself to move, to crawl away from the nightmare approaching, but his body was at its limit. Every movement was agony, his vision blurring at the edges.

He made it to the edge of the crumbling floor, looking down at the inferno below. Behind him, he could hear Kratos or whatever twisted version he was, approaching, slow and inevitable. Ned turned to face him, tasting blood.

"Well," Ned said, taking a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

He jumped into the inferno below, just as Kratos's blade whistled through the air where he had been lying. For a moment, Ned was in freefall, the wind rushing past him. Then he hit the sloping side of the building, rolling to absorb the impact.

Pain lanced through him as he tumbled down the side of the building, narrowly avoiding patches of flame. Above him, he could hear Kratos's roar of frustration.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Multiple fractures detected. Internal bleeding confirmed. Chances of survival now 0.3%]

"Yeah, yeah," Ned muttered, finally coming to a stop near the base of the building. He looked up, seeing Kratos's massive form at the edge where he had jumped. "But I'm still alive, aren't I?"

As if in answer, Kratos leapt from the edge, plummeting towards Ned with blades outstretched.

"Oh, come on," Ned groaned, forcing his battered body into motion once more. "Don't you ever give up?"

He stumbled away from the building, each step an agony. Behind him, he could hear Kratos land, the impact shaking the ground.

Ned knew he couldn't run anymore. Couldn't fight. All he could do was turn and face his fate.

As Kratos approached, blade raised for the killing blow, Ned allowed himself a small smile.

In the distance, he could see his team's makeshift bathtub-sled disappearing around a corner. They had made it. That was something, at least.

"Well," Ned said, meeting Kratos's gaze. "It's been fun. But I think this is where I get off.

As Kratos raised his blade for the final blow, Ned allowed himself a moment of grim satisfaction.

He lifted both hands into what looked like two mangled middle fingers at the nightmare about to end him.

The blade descended, and Ned closed his eyes, his battered body tensing for the impact.

"I hope you rot in hell!" He yelled, then the blade struck, and everything went black.

***