What's in the box, Jon?

A Story by MCNemesis

A mighty man tries in vein to convince a wicked woman to see things his way.

Jon Hammer released his grip and the smaller man fell to the floor with a thud. Battered, bruised and beaten, the would-be assassin had not accounted for Jon's augmented strength and stamina.

Summoning all his remaining ability, the loser manages to whisper a magical incantation and disappear in a plume of white smoke.

Jon looks on as the vapor begins to dissipate around him. The ninja had taken him unaware, leaping out of the shadows when his back was turned. Anyone else would have been destroyed instantly, but Jon was no ordinary man.

Standing 6'6” and wide as two ordinary men standing shoulder to shoulder, the olive skinned behemoth cut an impressive outline against the night sky.

He glances to the large stone hammer for which he is named, still covered in gore from the altercation. A faint blue glow slowly begins to illuminate.

Bringing the weapon closer, Jon is able to make out a line of glowing text, “the carrier is near”.

“Miranda”, he mumbles and looks about as if to catch a glimpse of her. His muscles tense and flex, ready to repel another unseen attack.

A short distance away, a beautiful hooded female watches from a hidden vantage point. Her bright orange eyes seem to pierce the darkness of the fabric about them. She smiles to herself and unconsciously rubs the rune covered box slung at her side.

A moment later, she emerges from the shadows and stands in perfect silhouette against the moon.

“Why must you continue this, Jon? We already know how this will play out”.

The giant man pauses for a moment before turning to address the female.

“You know why”. His tone is even and firm.

Miranda makes a grand gesture with her arm and kind of dances in place.

“Aren't you afraid you might kill me? My friend isn't easily beaten you know " but you made short work of him anyway”.

Jon raises his hammer and points it at the woman wrapped in darkness. She pauses and waits in vain for some sort of clever retort. If only he were more interesting to verbally spar with; maybe then she could be convinced to give him what he wanted.

“Oh no! He pointed his overgrown nail-pounder at me!”

The woman continues to jeer and hop up and down as Jon remains stone faced with firm resolve. His lack of animation exceeds Miranda's boredom tolerance threshold.

“Stop being so boring, you overgrown stuffed potato!” she screams. “I've met rocks with more personality!”

“Miranda!” he commands, his mighty hammer still extending toward her. “Give it to me. Now.”

The hooded female feels her cheeks burning with frustration and anger.

“You want it, Jon? You want it? Fine! Here it is!”

In the blink of an eye, Miranda flings the rune covered box high into the air. Jon locks onto the object of his desire as a look of horror crosses his face.

An instant later, Miranda makes her move. She blurs as she streaks across the distance between them and delivers a brutal uppercut to the giant man's chin.

Caught off guard, Jon is knocked backward and falls to the earth. His speedy assailant follows up her attack by racing in circles and peppering him with blows.

“You stupid excuse for a man! Why don't you ever pay any attention to me!?” she shrieks.

“Enough!” he shouts as he raises his hammer. A blue burst of magic tears through the air and sends the lithe female flying. A panicked look in his eye, Jon sits up and scans the sky.

“Like I said, Jon...”, Miranda blurs into view once more. “We already know how this ends.” Causally, she tosses the runed box in the air in-front of her.

A look of stone-faced resolve returns to the giant man's face. “I'll never give up”.

A wry smile begins to spread across Miranda's face. “You promise?”