“You gonn’ be da furst one ta feel da ultimate power,punk.”

Damn, he’s a big man.  One of the biggest I’ve seen actually.  Good voice too.  Let me guess, a singing instructor for garbage men?

“I’s ‘bout ta wipe dat stupid grin offa yo face fo good sucka.  What you got ta say ‘bout dat?”

Oooo.  What to say, what to say?  I mean, the guy could send me flying with a flick of his pinky, but as for witty repartee?  I don’t think so.  “Well, um, sir, <gulp> I’m very sorry about tossing my cigar butt into your face.”  Yeah, so I smoke.  You got a beef with that?  “I most humbly apologize to your supreme ultimateness.”

His fist grips the front of my shirt tighter to the sound of popping fibers.  “You know how bad I can beat you?  You muss know dat.  I juss got me wired up but good, an’ I’s dyin’ ta test it out.”

Crap.  Can’t be reasoned with, can’t be bargained with, can’t even apologize to the meat man.  One last chance.  “I wasn’t going to say anything, but you do know that I’m an undercover cop, right?  I mean, you muss know that.  And there’s a guy on that building, and one over there, and I’m sure that they’d just love to take a black market wirehead like you down to the station for a spell.  Whaddya think?  No, sorry, don’t think.  Just take your shot.”

Hey, he looks confused.  Maybe it’ll work.  “you ain’t really a cop.  You juss sayin’ dat ta get outta poundin’.  Right?  You ain’t…  Naw, you ain’t…”  And just like that he turns heel and books faster than I thought possible for him.  I can’t hwlp but smile, pull a frech cigar from my jacket, and light up.

“And I though I was losing my touch.”  Puff.  Puff.

The moment is suddenly shattered as I, and everyone around me are thrown to the ground by a rocking explosion from the building behind me.  Chunks of debris are sent flying and flames roll over our backs as God watches us wriggle helplesslyon the ground with blood running from our burst eardrums.  I try to find the breath to scream, but as my lungs seem to have fad all the air sucked out of them be the shockwave, I just can’t seem to do it.  And through everything, above and beyond not wanting to go out this way, here and now, all I can think about is the lonely fact that my dog was in that raging inferno.