INT. THE SPIDER’S DEN - NIGHT

FREEZE FRAME: A whore, JEZEBEL, is screaming at a middle aged overweight man, MR. MIDDLETON, as a couple women, LILITH and DELILAH, lean against the wall watching, smiles on their faces.

Behind them is the SPIDER on a throne-like chair, all the decor dark and dimly lit. The Spider has a half naked man and a drug induced woman at her feet.

UNFREEZE.

Jezabel screams at her client while Lilith and Delilah share their affection and amusement. Jezabel throws rubber DILDOS at the man. He is getting angrier by the moment as one lands on his face.

MR. MIDDLETON

How dare you, don’t you know who I am and who I represent?!!!

JEZABEL

Yea the King of Pigs is who you fucking are. I sucked your cock like a god damn popsicle and you don’t give me a fucking tip.

Lilith and Delilah laugh.

LILITH

Ah, my sweet Jezebel, are you still telling them to close their eyes and call you Jimbo?

JEZABEL

Fuck yes, that’s hella funny, and I grunt low like a man. “Give it to me baby”(laughter)

DELIALH

Ah, always tip toeing the edge Jez.

LILITH

Yes but life would be butterscotch without the butter if she wasn’t doing her thing. She’s her very own butterfly

DELILAH

True as true spells itself. I love butterflies.

LILITH

They are so so pretty.

Jezebel shows a look of disgust.

JEZABEL

It’s not gonna work ladies, I’m ticked the fuck off and you aren’t gonna get me to bunny up with your act. (Looks at Middleton) Do you see this ass?

She grabs her own ass. (looks at ladies)

JEZABEL

Seriously, look at this ass. I let this fucking gutter rat touch this ass, fuck this ass, and no god damn tip? Fuck him and fuck you ladies..

She looks at Mr. Middleton

JEZABEL

Take a last look at these sweet rolls.

Shaking her ass.

JEZABEL

You ain’t ever sticking your small little pecker in this again.

She saunters off. Mr. Middleton is fuming. He looks to The Spider.

MR. MIDDLETON

Your gonna let one of your fucking sluts talk to me like that?!!!!

Both Lilith and Delilah freeze and look at The Spider.

LILITH

No he didn’t?!

DELILAH

He most certainly did.

LILITH

I get first dibs on his wallet.

The Spider interrupts them.

THE SPIDER

My dear Mr. Middleton. Did you just refer to one of my lovely ladies as a slut?

He starts looking nervous.

MR. MIDDLETON

Sorry, Mistress. My tongue got away from me. But you have to know who I am and who I represent. I demand respect and demand that whore... that woman, be punished.

From outside, two women enter. THORN and THISTLE. They are clad in tight leather, bristling with weapons and deadly presence. They eye him. From behind The SPider comes a woman dressed in war garb, dark and sleek. She looks at the scene then at the man. BUNNY.

BUNNY

What’s with the huh bub, bub?

Mr. Middleton is sweating.

THE SPIDER

You demand? And yes, I know who you are Mr. Middleton. Mid-level management for the Loki Corporation. I believe The Demon can do without your services.

Mr. Middleton turns to run. The Spider nods to Bunny, her hand flickers and his hand goes to his neck where a small needle appears.

Immediately, he stops breathing and black spider lines appear across his face. He falls face first and doesn't move, lying across an ornate rug.

Immediately, Lilith moves in to look for his wallet while Delilah smiles. Thorn and Thistle move forward, kneel on one knee and bow their heads.

THE SPIDER

My lovely Thorn and Thistle. Did you accomplish what I desired of you?

THORN

Yes Mistress, The Preacher is pushing up daisies, slaughtered in the streets. Knife work mostly.

THISTLE

Unfortunately Mistress, still no information on who did it.

THORN

Someone formidable if not multiple assailants. The Preacher would not of been an easy mark. Even Thistle and I would of been challenged to take him down.

The Spider contemplates the information.

THE SPIDER

The web whispers. The Candy Man and The Preacher. Someone moves against our interests. Possibly another corporation. The Emperor does make enemies amongst the elite. Make the call my ladies. A meeting with our colleagues is unavoidable. This situation must be rectified before its threads reach any deeper.

THORN

Are you sure, Mistress?

THISTLE

There's always danger when dealing with The Emperor.

THE SPIDER

Thank you for your concern, but yes, I’m sure. Delilah, Lilith, you shall accompany us. You shall be my gift for the audience. You shall spend a few days with the Emperor’s coven and appease his appetites.

Both girls smile large.

LILITH

Goodie. We get to see The Empress, Helena is talented with that tongue of hers.

DELIALH

Yes, delightful. And The Emperor always keeps things interesting.

The Spider smiles.

THE SPIDER

There is something within the weave. An old enemy I think has its hands upon the loom. And Thorn, Thistle? Please clean the refuse off my blessed rug before it stains.

DELILAH

Yes the rug makes the room, it is the artistry of the den we abide.

Lilith laughs.

LILITH

Like that old movie you had me watch, Delilah. The Big Boner, or Ludowski, Pasinksi? So funny, had my thighs quivering. The rug really tied the room together, Dude. So fucking precious.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

The Spider motions towards Bunny.

THE SPIDER

I need a daughter of the Goddess, specifically a child of the crone and shadow to ferret out the truth of what is happening.

BUNNY

As you wish mistress, it is why the council loaned you my services. The shadows are mine to control.

The Spider nods but with a look of concern.

THE SPIDER

The council always has their own agenda, but you have proven loyal, do so again.

Bunny goes to one knee and bows her head.

BUNNY

As you wish.

FREEZE FRAME: The Spider sits on her throne, Bunny knelt underneath it’s shadow. Thorn and Thistle on one knee remain in the foreground while Lilith leans against Delilah.

GFX: The camera pulls back out to a map of the city. It is overlapped with...

INT. THE SHARK’S DOMAIN - NIGHT

Over the Shark’s shoulder looking at the far wall.

SHARK

So what have we found, scrumptious? Who the hell is killing people?

Cyber leaps in his lap nuzzling his neck.

CYBER

No, muffin, haven’t found anything. Whoever it is, is a ghost. Maybe an out of towner from another Corp. I mean, the whore’s killer was iced as well.

The Shark touches his hand to her cheek.

SHARK

It’s all right, cream cheese. The Spider hasn’t found nothing either, or she’d be throwing it in my face, the bitch. We need to bite the burrito and do a meet and greet with the big honcho.

Cyber looks worried.

CYBER

Are ya sure, baby? Last time he almost took your head.

Shark continues to caress her face.

SHARK

More risk of that little story if I hold back info of people being flambayed.

Cyber looks earnest and worried.

CYBER

OK Daddy, I’ll go make the set up.

She starts to rise, but is stopped. He looks at her, his hand on her ass.

SHARK

We got some time, pumpernickel. Let’s get the rocks off before our heads are on the block.

Cyber looks at his lap and goes down off camera between his legs. Shark looks off camera. Anger rolls off his features.

SHARK

Again, Crank with the fucking peeping and perving, go get fucking laid ya bald bastard.

Hand pushing down on merging Cyber head.

SHARK

No babykins, keep going, fuck Crank. Your my beautiful daisy on a summer day, yea that’s it, remember, no teeth.

DISSOLVE TO:

The image fades out to the map.

The camera zeroes in on Thomas’s house.

INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - nIGHT

FREEZE FRAME: Tobias’s face takes up the frame. The camera pushes in.

UNFREEZE.

Lucy, on the couch, is waking up. Her face and head are cleaned up, but she is still bruised and has some cuts. A bandage is wrapped around her head.

Tobias looks at her, captivated. Her eyes slowly flutter open, she focuses on Tobias. She sits up and his eyes gravitate towards her healthy bosom.

He is embarrassed when she smiles, catching him.

TOBIAS

Sorry, so sorry.

She laughs.

LUCY

No need to be. You’re a young man, and I am..well..(motions to size of her breasts)

His eyes dart back to her bosom.

TOBIAS

Yeah, you are. I mean, uh, sorry, holy hell. My name is To... To... Tobias. Nice to meet yas.

She laughs.

LUCY

Nice to meet you To, To, Tobias. My name is Lucy.

He smiles as he tries to keep his eyes from darting to her bosom. Then he remembers the food next to him on the coffee table. He grabs it and hands it to her.

TOBIAS

I forgot, Miss Idris made this for you. She makes kick ass food. I never ate so good as I have last couple weeks.

She smiles and takes the food putting it to the side.

LUCY

Very nice of whoever your talking about, but, care to tell me where the fuck I am. Who is Miss Idris and where is the guy that saved these tits from having a lunatic priest put me in the ground?

He looks at her with a smile.

TOBIAS

Miss Idris is awesome. She kicks ass, makes me food and has been teaching me how to use a blade. And the guy is Thomas, kinda weird guy but cool. He saved me too a couple weeks ago from that bastard the Candy Man, put him in the dirt hard.

LUCY

Who the fuck saves people, in this city? What do they fucking want? I’m just a fucking whore.

Tobias touches her hand.

TOBIAS

And I’m just a street kid. Thomas don’t care about that shit. All I know is he did some bad stuff before, I don’t know, he don’t tell me about it. But as far as I can figure, he trying to make up for it. He got some vow that he gonna kill killers. And I can’t believe he done done it. The Candy Man, now the Preacher. He taking this city by storm. He gonna make the City of Blood the City of Angels.

She laughs hard.

LUCY

I’ll believe it when I see it. Ain’t no one help no one for free, but he saved my ass. If I got to fuck him or something for it, I’ll call it a good day.

The camera moves from Lucy’s face quickly down a hallway to a closed door.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THOMAS’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Thomas sits on the end of the bed getting his ribs taped by Idris.

IDRIS

I thought I taught you better then this. Evade then strike. Always counter, too aggressive and this is what happens.

Thomas smiles.

THOMAS

Yes, teacher. I was over confident. Won’t happen again.

She finishes taping him.

IDRIS

Well at least you were intelligent enough to wear the body armor I gifted you, otherwise bruised ribs would of been much more.

She puts her hand on his arm and looks into his eyes.

IDRIS

Are you still committed to this path? It is not too late to turn from its inevitable carnage.

Thomas smiles a forlorn type of smile.

THOMAS

The path is all that I have. Fate will see me to the end.

Idris nods her head.

IDRIS

As it ever was and ever shall be. Though I must warn you. Your anonymity will not last, and there will be danger for those around you. One of those you face is a Daughter of the Three Fold path. And she was of the school of your mother’s, that men are worthless. It was she who trained me and is a very dangerous piece on the board that is the City of Blood.

INT. THOMAS'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Tobias watches Lucy scarfing down her food while also staring at her breasts, one of which is almost exposed.

Thomas walks in gingerly, Idris moves off to the side. Thomas smiles at Tobias. Lucy notices them in the room and puts her food down.

She steps up and walks towards Thomas, adjusting what she can of her clothes. She moves and grabs Thomas's hand. It startles him.

LUCY

Okay, hero boy, appreciate the food, you saving my canoles etc etc, so let’s mosey onto the bedroom so I can fuck your brains out, suck the lollipop, let ya stick it in every hole, then we’ll call it a day and I’ll slip on down the road.

Thomas pulls away uncomfortable.

THOMAS

Unnecessary. It was my honor to help a daughter of the goddess and end the beast that stalked you. And you need go nowhere. In fact, I insist you stay and avail yourself of my home.

Lucy looks on in confusion, Tobias laughs and steps up.

TOBIAS

Seriously, man. I got to teach you to throw some slang. Who the hell taught you to spit shit off your tongue like that? Nobody understand half of what comes out of yas mouth.

Thomas smiles.

THOMAS

We are the environment we were raised in.

TOBIAS

I call bullshit. We can be more than that. I been on the streets since I was eight. Yet I never stole from no one, never did drugs and always tried to do the right thing. We can be more than how we was raised or what happened to us. We gots choices. I got to believe that.

Lucy smiles and tousles Tobias’ head.

LUCY

I’d like to believe that too, Tobias. It’s the only thing that has gotten these hips through the days. I got dreams, much bigger dreams than sucking men’s cocks for another bite to eat.

Thomas smiles.

THOMAS

I give in to your combined wisdom. How bout we dream our bigger dreams. Let us carve the streets to truth.

Thomas looks at Tobias.

THOMAS

How is that, Tobias?

Idris laughs, as does Lucy.

TOBIAS

Oh man. Horrible, horrible. Guess we gotta start somewhere.

Lucy looks wary.

LUCY

Are you sure I don’t need to fuck ya or anything? At least suck your lollipop hard?

Thomas looks embarrassed and nervous.

THOMAS

Yes, uh, qui... quite sure.

Lucy is still confused.

LUCY

Oh I get it, you not into women? You dig the ole’ sausage?

Thomas is even more uncomfortable.

THOMAS

No, uh, I find interest, um, in women, um, in that realm.

Lucy and him share a connection, a look. She moves up and touches his johnson, he almost crawls into the wall.

LUCY

Okay, your loss. I would of rocked your candy.

Tobias starts laughing at Thomas's complete reddening.

FREEZE FRAME.

GFX: back out to the map, still focused on the scene. The reticle moves to the center of the city as the words “Gold Town” write themselves over the map.