I don't own Manhunt, nor any of the characters...I simple enjoyed the game, the story, and felt like writing a story about it.

There are original characters, and I guess you can consider this game a prequel of sorts of the first Manhunt game. Enjoy.

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"Wake up, Tanner!"

Guard Wilson slammed his nightstick against the cell bars. Tanner lifted his head from his pillow, looking at him. Wilson was a big, bulky man, his gut pushed over the edge of his belt from what appeared to be one too many nights of drinking at the local bar. His face wasn't shaved and his hair was pushed haphazardly up under the blue guard cap over his head. Tanner wondered if the man ever showered.

"Time to have a cookout, boy."

The fat man's gut jiggled as he bellowed a long laugh, unhooking the keys from his belt. Two other guards walk up behind him. Tanner stood up, standing across from Wilson. Tanner was the complete opposite of Wilson. Tanner's head was shaved smooth, a scar running down across his face over his right eye. The orange jumpsuit worn by all death row inmates covered his body, it's bright color a stark contrast to the dark and colorless cell. Tanner walked up to the bars and stared through them a Wilson. Wilson rose an eyebrow at Tanner.

"You know the drill, boy. Turn around."

Tanner grinned, staring past Wilson at the other two guards, they looked nervous. Tanner calmly turned around, placing his hands behind his back. One of the two guards walked forward and reached through the opening of the bars, slipping a pair of handcuffs onto Tanner. Wilson opened the cell door as Tanner turned back around.

"Let's go for a walk."

Tanner walked out through the cell and made his way down the bright yellow line painted down the center of the cellblock. The prisoners on either side of the block stood up and stared as Tanner walked by, each one knowing who he was and where he was going, knowing full well that someday they would walk the same line. One of the guards spoke.

"Hey, Wilson, is it true what the papers have been saying about this guy?"

The other one chimed in.

"Yeah, did he really kill those guys with his bare hands?"

"Yeah, it's true. This fucker damn near tore those fellas to pieces before the cops were able to pull him off. Of course, he broke two cops' arms and put another cop into the hospital before they finally got control of him."

"Jesus."

"Not quite, kid. Tanner here sure as shit ain't going upstairs by night's end. Ain't that right, Tanner?"

Tanner simply walked, ignoring the talk behind him.

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They sure had made one hell of big-to-do about this shit. As I sat in the old wooden chair being strapped down, I watched as a group of people filed into the room across the safety glass, taking their chairs. Some had notepads in their hands, busily writing down what they saw, other just sat and stared, their eyes trying to burn holes through my face. I hate it when family gets involved. Yeah, I killed them, they were going to die eventually…get the fuck over it. But I guess that's they way it goes. As they slid the metal halo around my head, a priest stepped up and started reading from his little brown book, waving his hands in front of him, I guess trying to make me think that I was going somewhere other than where I knew I was. Religion…what crazy ass person came up with that idea?…

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The warden stood next the executioner, a small red phone hanging on the wall next to the switch. Wilson slowly tightened the halo around Tanner's head, then leaned down, putting his face right next to Tanner's

"I'm gonna enjoy watching a little puke like you fry. Hope you enjoy hell."

Tanner rolled his eyes at the stench of Wilson's breath, then turned and stared right back at Wilson.

"Don't worry, piggy. I'll be sure to be the one to shove a pitchfork up your ass when you come down to join me."

Wilson stared angrily at Tanner, opening his mouth to speak, not willing to let Tanner have the last word, but the warden looked up from checking his watch.

"Do you have any last words, Tanner?"

"Yeah, quit waiting for that phone to ring and just pull the damn switch already."

The warden shook his head and turned to the executioner, his eyes never leaving his watch.

"Do it."

The executioner pulled the level down and the electricity coursed through the wires.

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Whoever thought that electrocution was a painless way to go was a damn fool. My body convulsed as a felt sharp pain course through my chest, then nothing…blackness suddenly filled my head and I was gone…at least I was supposed to be…

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Wake up, Tanner!!!

Tanner slowly started moving around, light slowly starting to push its way through the black haze around him. Tanner opened his eyes, his head feeling like someone had hit him in the head with a sledgehammer. Tanner fully opened his eyes, staring at the old, leak stained ceiling above him.

"What…"

Ah, good, finally awake I see…

Tanner sat up on the bare mattress, pushing a rat off of his chest.

For a second there, I had thought I had paid for broken goods.

Tanner's head was hurting, but he still heard the voice. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling, it's small amount of light barely illuminating the room around him. Tanner looked around the room. The windows were boarded up, and the room had the smell of stagnate water and wood dust. The walls were almost completely bare of paint, most of it replaced by cracks and water damage.

"What the fuck is going on?"

It's quite simple really. You've been selected to take part in a very important and lucrative game.

"What?"

Tanner looked to where the voice was coming from. A small table sat in one corner of the room, a small intercom speaker sitting on it. Tanner stood up and walked to the speaker. Above the table, a video camera hung from the ceiling, it's red power light glowing in the shadows of the ceiling.

"Who the fuck are you?"

I'm your director. I'm glad to see you up and moving around. It would have been hard to sell video of a man lying dead on a mattress. Now, since you're up and moving around, do yourself a favor and put the earpiece on the table in.

"What?"

Put the earpiece in. I'd do it before…

The door to the room suddenly exploded open. Tanner spun around as two guys wearing hooded sweatshirts ran in at him, both carrying baseball bats

Oops…too late.

One of the thugs swung his baseball bat at Tanner, but Tanner ducked underneath, bringing his fist up and into the thug's stomach. The breath rushed out of the thug as the other one ran up, his bat at the ready. Grabbing the hands of the first thug, Tanner brought his bat up, blocking the shot of the other thug's bat and brought his knee up, slamming it into the face of the first thug. The first thug fell to the ground clutching his nose, as the second thug stepped back, readying for another strike. Tanner ducked to the side as the thug swung the bat downward at him, smashing the table behind Tanner. Tanner, with the other bat still in his hand, swung around slamming the butt of the bat square into the small of the second thug's back. The thug screamed in pain, falling face first against the wall. Tanner stepped forward, using the bat as it was intended for, hitting the back of the thug's head, smashing it up against the wall, causing his scream to come to a sudden stop.

Beautiful!!!

Tanner stepped back, but had the bat knocked out of his hand's but the first thug who was back on his feet, blood running out of his broken nose. The thug nailed Tanner with a hard right punch, then went for a left, but Tanner blocked it, moving forward, hitting a head butt to the already broken nose of the thug. The thug stumbled backward cursing, then rushed forward, reaching for Tanner. Tanner hit him with a hard uppercut, spinning the thug around, then grab him around the neck from behind, squeezing. The thug grasped behind, tying to get to Tanner, but it was no use. Tanner suddenly jerked the head sideways, hearing the popping sound of the thug's neck snapping like an old tree branch. The thug went limp in his arms, then Tanner dropped him to the ground.

Tanner stepped back taking a deep breath. Looking down, he glanced at the thug's body that he killed with the baseball bat, its leg's twitching still. Turning the body over, Tanner picked up the broken table pieces, finding the intercom smashed, but the earpiece unbroken. Muffled sounds came out of it as he lifted it to his ear. The sound of laughter and clapping came through the earpiece as he put it into his ear.

I must say that was a brilliant display of violence. I can tell you will be a fun one.

Tanner looked up at the video camera.

"What is going on?"

It's quite simple. I made certain arrangements with a number of people to provide me with…let's say talent. You are one of my purchases. I own you, I own this town, I own everything in it. And I do what I want with what I own. And with you, I choose to play a game. You see, I feel that a hunter, no matter how good or how accomplished, can never hunt the one prey that can outsmart and outwit all other prey. Man. I simply provide an audience with the product that they want. And I must say, they pay well to see a hunt like this.

Tanner unzipped the bright orange jumpsuit that he wore, pulling the least bloodiest clothes off of the two dead thugs and putting them on.

But…you can also win this game. You are in the center of Carcer City. You are surrounded by hundreds of gang members, of nearly a dozen gangs, each one controlling certain portions of territory throughout the city. All you have to do, Mr. Tanner, is make it out of the city. And then you are a free man. The world thinks you died in that chair, but I simply paid enough money to make sure it just put you unconscious. So what do you say, Mr. Tanner? Do we have a hunt? Or are you just going to sit there until a couple more gang members hear you and come running?

Tanner stood up, lifting a baseball bat from the ground.

"I've already killed a few times. Killing a few more don't matter."

Excellent. This is sure to be fun to watch.

Tanner walked out of the room as laughter filled his earpiece