The Gutter Boys

     Marshal Crimson looked over the dome. He could see movement, signs of activity, the Gutter Boys were preparing to repulse Arbite attack. He gave them a point for effort, but nothing more. "We are all in position." said Rezal. "Good." replied Crimson, "Go join the Marines, I'll see you in a few hours." Rezal noded and left to join the combat squad of Space Marines who they had linked up with for the assault. Crimson watch his friend go and then turned to join his Arbites on the front lines.
     "Doc, grab that needle rifle!" ordered Slash. The scavy grabbed the weapon and head for a tower where he could provide cover fire. Sandy had reported the incoming Arbites ten minutes ago, and there was little time left. The Gutter boys had set up barricades and begun passing out the best weapons from their stash. Angel was reminding the others of the weak spots in Arbite armor, the best places to shoot for a kill. Slash knew that the Arbites were here to attempt to take the bridge and capture his gang. Sandy reported a large force, but they wouldn't take this place without a fight, and none of his gang would be arrested. This was a fight to the last man, and Slash intended to go down fighting.
     As the Gutter Boys sat ready to repulse the attack, the first shots rang out in the form of bolter fire from the Marines. Fang dove for cover as the shots riddled his watch tower. The Gutter Boys reponded, opening fire on the advancing Arbites. Angel watch one fall to his bolt gun as Doc sent another to the ground convulsing. Venk fired his las-gun forcing an Arbite to duck for cover. Slash took a shot and wounded an advancing Arbite, but his gun jammed in the process. As the marines fire another hail of shots at Fang, Rezal opens a warp portal in the middle of the Marine squad and another across the river. This would allow the marines to conduct a flanking type manuever and strike from behind. As Crimson advances, he is hit by a blast of nails and metal from Tusker's scatter cannon. He is save however by his conversion field.
     As the Scavies continue to fire, Skell charges into the warp gate just opened by Rezal. He jumps an unsuspecting marine and wounds him with a kick from his bionic leg. Several Arbite sight Snake and Many as they fire on the Arbite heavy weapons team. The Aribtes respond with shots from their combat shotguns which send both scavies diving for cover. Marshal Crimson takes aim with his bolter and fires a shot at Slash wounding him. Skell blocks the marine's counter attack and lands a kick in Rezal's gut, sending him gasping to the ground. He then spins and crushes the marine's head with another kick.
     As the Arbite all climb back to their feet, Reno kills a marine as he emerges from the portal, the two that come in behind him take cover. However, as the Gutter Boys continue their rain of fire, their shots seeming quite successful, their weapons begin to fail and break down.
     The final marine still not through the portal charges Skell to draw the heat from Rezal. The two battle as Rezal climbs to his feet. Across the river, Marine Sergeant Antonius fires his bolt pistol at Reno at point blank range. The round hits Reno's head which explodes. The other marine fires fires and wounds Many. Proctor Sinclair fires his shotgun at Snake who dives for cover and Crimson lands another shot on Slash. Then one of the Arbite heavy bolters fires at Ratey and chews him to pieces.
     The Gutter Boys continue their hail of fire, becoming less and less successful. Venk lands a krak grenade near Antonius but fails to wound him. Doc drops another Arbite with his needle rifle before it fails on him.
     As Skell andthe final marine, Brother Richard, continue to fight, Brother Richard yells to Rezal, "Get out of here! Go through the portal and close it." Rezal hesitates and then goes, knowing that even with his help, they could beat Skell in close-combat. As the portal closes, Skell lands a kick on Brother Richard who falls to the ground. He looks up at the mutant as he holds his crushed ribs. "When I die," he gasped, "the Emperor will protect my soul. When you die, your soul will become a play thing for the gods of chaos." "Maybe so," replied Skell, "but you'll still die first." He brought his foot down on the marine's head, crushing it like a piece of fruit.
     The Arbites move foward on to the bridge. Proctor Malone fires his bolt gun at Shmell forcing to dive for cover at the river bank. Proctor Sinclair fires another round from his shotgun at Many. The mutant ducked and laughed at Sinclair. Then the executioner round made a U-turn and slammed into Many's back almost blowing him in two. Sinclair smiled. Arbite Gonzales had been waiting for a good shot the whole battle, as Tusker moved onto the bridge, he knew this was it. Taking a knee he loaded a krak missile and let it fly. The missile streaked across the battlefield to it's target. "Tusker! LOOK OUT!!!" yelled Slash. Tusker looked over just in time to know this was not going to be good. The missile hit him square in the chest and blew him apart like a rag-doll.
     Slash yelled with rage and charged across the bridge, cutting down and Arbite with his auto pistol. Snake also responded, firing a krak grenade which landed at Gonzales feet and blew him back several meters where he lay, unmoving. Surepath fired his flamer at the approaching Sergeant Antonius, but to no avail. Venk attempts to arm another krak grenade, but no before he is shot by the other marine. The two Arbite heavy bolters looked around, one fixed on the tower he knew Fang to be hiding in, the other turned and fired at Skell who was sprinting in his direction. The scavy was riddled by explosive rounds and fell to the ground. Marshall Crimson and a fellow Arbite leaped on to the bridge and came face to face with Angel and Slash.
     Snake fires another grenade at the heavy weapons team but misses. Slash leaps on the young Arbite, cutting him down with one stroke of his power sword. Angel charged Marshal Crimson neither managed to score any hits.
     Fang, tired of waiting, jumped to his feet only to be riddled with fire from a heavy bolter. A second Arbite attacks Slash, hoping to hold him off long enough to allow the Marshal to finsh off that winged beast. At the bank of the river, Malone continued to fire shots at Shmell with no success. Rezal, having recovered from his ordeal, opened a new gate to the top of the tower Fang was on, hoping to finish the job the heavy weapons team started. Crimson dodge a swing from Angel and slashed him across the chest, the winged mutant howled in pain. Fang, realizing what was about to happen, rolled from the tower and landed heavily, but alive, on the ground below. As Shmell, Sandy, and Doc try to slow down the Arbites, Angel makes another swing at Crimson. Blocking the swing, Crimson swung around and cut one of Angel's wings from his body. The mutant barely had time to scream before his head left his slouders. Slash, now quite enraged, swung at Crimson. A blinding flash of light radiated out as the Marshal's conversion field stopped the blow. Sandy screamed, blinded by the light.
     The Marines split, one fires on Surepath, knocking him to the ground, as Antonius runs to finish of Fang. Rezal, now atop the tower, opens a portal to the other tower to go after Snake, or bring Snake to him. An executioner round to Sandy dropped him to the floor, where he roll off to the ground below.
     Slash swung at Crimson, who jumped back. The two's power sword banged and sparked as the fight continued. Slash thrusted in cutting the Marshal's side. Crimson responded with some cutting of his own. The two seemed evenly matched. Then as Slash swung, Crimson block the blow with his free hand and cut across the Scavy's chest with his sword. He looked at his opponent. "I must say, I like you taylor. I respect a man who where an imperial symbol." "Up yours cop," replied Slash. Crimson seemed to smile. "I said a man, that doesn't include you, you rotten, sludge sucking, underhive scum." Crimson kicked Slash and knocked him off the level. He fell into a dark hole where Crimson lost sight of him.
     Skell climbed back to his feet and charged the heavy weapon's team that had hurt him. Leaping on to the walkway, he sliced open an Arbite with his chainsword. The other Arbite swung around and fired his heavy bolter at point blank range. Skell fell to the hail of bolter fire.
     Snake drew his sword and charged through the portal. Rezal raised his force sword, ready to meet the attacker. He was not ready for the handfull of sand that Sanke threw in his face. He droped his sword and stumbled back. Snake cut into the psyker, a dozen times, chewing his body apart with the whirlling blade of his chainsword. When he was satisfied, he kick the lifeless body from the tower.
     The Arbites, moved forward. The final member of the weapons team dropped Snake with fire from his heavy bolter. Proctor Sinclair ran up to Sandy and kicked him in the ribs. Three other Arbites joined him as the beat the life out of the useless scavy. Crimson moved across the bridge, Proctor Malone close behind him. He took aim at Shmell with his combi-weapon and fired the flamer. Shmell lite up like a match and fell into the river igniting the length of it on fire.
     Doc looked around. Only he was left. He wanted to run but remembered what Slash said "Fight to the last man." He popped up and fired his bolt gun at Malone. Malone was caught of guard and though the shot did not break his armor, he stumbled and fell. Crimson dove to save him but was unable to do so before he fell into the river. Crimson grabed his weapon in a fit of rage. He fired at Doc hiting him several times. Doc stumbled and fell from the tower, Crimson still firing as he fell.
     With the last of the Gutter Boys out, Crimson order the remaining Arbites to set charges on the bridge. As they left the dome, the toll bridge was encased in a ball of fire as the melta-bombs exploded.

     Slash and the rest of the Gutter Boys gather around. They had been hit hard today. Doc, Angel, Tusker, Ratey, Reno, Sandy, Shemll, and Manny were all dead, and the toll bridge was lost. This was not going to be easy to recover from, not easy at all.

     Marshal Crimson closed the door to his office behind him. He undid the collar of his dress uniform and sat down in the chair behind his desk. He had just come from the awards ceremony where he had been decorated for his attack on the Gutter Boys. Many others had received medals, including those that did not come back. Brother Richard, the marine who gave his life for Rezal's, was even awarded the Imperial Medal of Honor.
     Those men deserved their awards. He did not. Three Marines and nine Arbites dead, including Proctor Malone and Rezal. Rezal was right, it had not mattered how they died, they were all still dead. He had underestimated the Gutter Boys. This world was like none he had even been too. He would have to learn, and fast. The Judge of Necromunda had appointed him the new marshal for Hive Primas, he was going to be staying on to continue the fight.
     He got up and walked over to the board where the pictures of the Gutter Boys were posted. Eight of them had be killed, but Slash was still alive. "I'll get you." Crimson said to the picture, "I don't care how long it takes or what it costs me, I will find you, and when I do, I am going to cut your head off and stick it of the highest point of this spire for all to see."
End.

The Gutter Boys

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