Marcus grabbed at the sturdy rod, its freezing metal chilling his fingertips. Anxiously, he reached, straining against the ligaments in his arm, trying to get a grip on the cold iron. Finally, his fingers wrapped around it and he swung around, bringing the weapon down hard into the giant black monstrosity that towered over him. The dark blob stood about seven feet tall and somewhat resembled a human figure, but wasn't anywhere near human. The rod struck somewhere in the beast's middle and a cloud of shadow slowly drifted away into the night air, rising above the alley.