Resignation of the Giant! Mercury and Pallas vs Black!

Ride of the Valkyries
While the townsfolk continued to battle the Marine grunts with their wine-cannons, the Valkyries tended to the...well, perhaps not fallen; but definitely injured, Valkyrie Sigrún. Their leader, Freyja, held Sigrún in her embrace.

"Hold still, sister-in-arms..." Brünnhilde assured her. "Sibling Rebond!" She took a deep breath and blew a quiet, low tone from her horn. From its amplifier came a white energy that covered her injured 'sister'; healing Sigrún's wounds, albeit slowly.

"Svafa, you and I shall assist in defeating the maddened Marine. Brünnhilde, you continue to heal Sigrún until she is ready to join us." ordered Freyja.

"Yes, Mother." the two said in unison. As Brünnhilde rapidly went to work, Freyja and Svafa flew over to rejoin Mercury and Pallas; both of whom were having problems of their own, it seemed.

"How the hell did they get you past the higher ups?!" asked a disgusted Mercury.

"You're a mockery of what it means to be a Marine!" Pallas continued.

"Hey, a Marine is just like any other man!" said an indignant Ulysses. "And a man's gotta do what he must to survive! And if it means I have to step on a few petty, drunken dullards to get what I want..."

He swung his hammer and slammed it into Pallas. "THEN SO BE IT!!!" he finished.

Pallas is flung against a brick wall, but he quickly limps up and walks back towards the fight.

"How the hell are you still standing?!" demanded Black. "That hammer is enough to knock down a bull elephant!"

"I'm a musician...." Pallas said as he limped. "I'm used to pain! Harpoon...." He threw his harpoon, which turned into several at once that rained down upon Black. "SHOWER!"

But Black spun his hammer, blocking all the harpoons aimed at his vitals.

"You fight well, for a saxophone-honking bum." scoffed Black.

Just then, two low blasts knocked Black off his feet...again.

"Is he always this clumsy?" asked Mercury.

"I dunno," Pallas replied. "But it makes our job of beating this guy easier!"

They look up to see Freyja and Svafa, landing behind Black and closing in.

"Be prepared to be defeated, mockery of justice!" Svafa exclaimed.

"You may have knocked me down, but my giant-" bragged Black. But as he was about to finish, his giant was nowhere to be found. "Where the hell did he go?!"

Rage; rage was his only emotion at this point, as he began his ultimate attack. "That does it.... Black Hammer...." He spun around, and around, and around, and around like a top on caffienne. "HURRICANE!!"

He slammed Mercury, Pallas, Svafa, and Freyja repeatedly, knocking the latter two out, and severely injuring Mercury. As for Pallas....well, while Mercury limped back up, Pallas did not.

"This rebellion was all but useless!" laughed Ulysses. "You're nothing more than a bunch of music and booze-happy drunkards, with a bunch of horn-blowing bitches to protect you. And they can't even do THAT!"

He then proceeded to break the legs of both Valkyries and beat Pallas' chest to a bloody pulp... But not before one final, desperate act.

"Maybe so..." gurgled Pallas. "But at least we're not monsters like YOU!!!!" He stabbed Ulysses in the right shoulder, but that didn't do much to stop him. One more pound, and Pallas stopped moving, and even breathing.

"And so..." Black heaved. "It ends...." He picked up his hammer one more time, and this time, aimed to crush Mercury's skull.

But as he is about to attack, a deep voice boomed, "WAIT!"

Black turned around fast and saw the giant, whom had his mallet in hand.

"Ah, Baradelli, you mighty lug; you finally decided to do something!" Black remarked, annoyed.

"I did do something, sir." Baradelli said indignantly. He brought forth a tray of coffee and biscotti. "I got you your favorite!"

"I didn't want coffee, you big oaf!" shouted Black. "Now help me kill this upstart, you hippopotamic moron!"

The mighty giant lumbered towards Mercury, his mallet aimed high. Beaten, bloody, and near death himself, Mercury accepted his fate. A great crack was heard, and everything went black. Except...the crack was not the skull of Goodman; rather, of Black, getting beaten once by the giant himself. The giant said nothing, but looked angrily, as if to say, "I quit, you steaming pile of crap."

Black collapsed in a heap, and the remaining Marines surrendered. Valkyries Brünnhilde and Sigrún flew towards our injured fighters. The two wept as they carried the wounded and dead; angered by their inability to do more than they did.

And thus, the unofficial War of Orlean Village came to an end....