CHAPTER 4: 03:23.

As the white flames illuminated the sky above the school that was perched on the top of the mountain, the sound of the high revving V8 of the cab could be heard rapidly approaching the bottom of the road that led up to the school. Theo quickly turned onto the main road without even hinting at braking at the intersection, and he gunned it as if in an attempt to get as far away from that horror school as possible.

“Othello.”

“What is it?”

“I have a question, if you will indulge me.”

“What is it, Fallen?” Theo asked as he turned towards the highway.

“Why did you do that? Free the souls of those creatures, that is.”

“Because they just wouldn’t shut up!” Theo boomed in annoyance. “I’ve already got more than enough voices that torture me during quiet moments… I didn’t need all of them to bitch at me as well.”

“I see.”

“Although that said, I should have just gotten out of there and left them to their fucking fate. Using those flames… completely depleted my already pathetic Life Essence reserves.”

“The Flames of Purity… there is nothing that they cannot burn, Othello.”

“Yeah, well after healing my virtually broken torso, they certainly did burn through my Life Essence.” Theo said with a bitter scoff.

The Fallen made a sound akin to a snicker, and Theo actually looked up at it.

“…what was that? Did you say something?”

“I just wanted to ask if Mike D’s memories had any useful information on either Phantom’s location, or the location of our next target?”

“Phantom? No. On Krazy Native; sure. That particular bastard is holed up in a private prison. Getting there might take some time – something we don’t have much of.”

“Very well. Hopefully his brain possesses the information that we need.”

“I’m sure it does. He seemed to be the closest to Phantom, so he’s got to be our best bet. That said; I have a few questions of my own for you, Fallen.”

“Ask them.” The Fallen responded.

“Alright… how were you able to identify the demon responsible for what happened at that school?”

“I possess intimate knowledge on the vast majority of all demons and their clans, Othello.”

“What of Chelsea’s Contracted Demon, then? You didn’t mention anything about it.”

“She signed the Contract with a low level demon from the Steel Web Clan. There is not much else to tell, though. Her Contracted Demon was both weak, and young.”

“Alright, I understand.”

“Did you notice something about Mike D, Othello?”

“Yeah – he wasn’t a Contracted Human. He was the same as every other Roach, only vastly stronger. He had to inject himself to transform.”

“Precisely, Othello.” The Fallen crooned.

“Having said that, I think I might know who Skelem’Dor’s Contracted Human may be. I think the Principal of that place is that human.”

“I see. I wonder if there are more schools that have been turning children into a demonic army.”

“Even if there are, it’s none of my business. My only concern is Phantom, and turning him to paste before the sun comes up. Moving on to my next question… who or what are you? Why are you so concerned with demonic activities, and why are you so against them? You speak as though you detest them, yet also come across as one.”

“…ask a specific question, Othello, and I will answer it if I am able to.”

Theo grumbled to himself as he turned onto the highway, before gunning it once more, blasting down the near empty roads.

“Are you a demon?”

“No, I am not.”

“Then what are you?”

“I cannot be classed as one thing or the other. That is as detailed as I can be about it, at the moment.”

“Why is it that our Contract is only valid until the dawn?”

“…because I cannot operate in the light, Othello. I cannot be in those places where the light of the sun can reach. Also, despite your nigh on miraculous growth and talent, you still do not possess the strength to keep me here longer than the duration of our Contract.”

Theo just remained silent for a bit as he tried to make sense of the information he had just received. He eventually sighed, and shook his head.

“I’m no better off than I was before I asked. You're fucking terrible at answering questions, Fallen.”

“Do not be discouraged, Othello. The time will come when you—”

“Oh yeah, what the fuck are the terms and conditions of our Contract, Fallen? I couldn’t make any sense of what was written on it, and there wouldn’t have been any time to do so even if I could have.”

“It is a simple Contract, Othello. It simply states that I am doing you a favour, and that you will repay the favour someday.”

“I doubt it’s that simple, Fallen.”

The Fallen didn’t respond, and once again, there was silence in the cab. The silence was short lived however, as Theo broke it almost immediately.

“Talk to me, Fallen. I can’t deal with silence at the moment.” Theo said as his grip of the wheel tightened.

“…very well. Tell me something about your life prior to your settling down in this city.” The Fallen said.

“There’s not much to say, really. I was a soldier of sorts, willing to do anything and everything that was required of me, no questions asked. I became jaded after doing the job for over a decade, and luckily, I was forced into early retirement.”

“Early retirement?”

“Yeah, remember how I told you that I was stabbed and shot and shit? Well, it was how I was ‘relieved’ of duty, so-to-speak.”

“Considering how skilled you have shown yourself to be, and how that skill has bridged the gap between you and those you have destroyed, I find it difficult to believe that you were overpowered and defeated so severely.” The Fallen said as it lowered itself down onto Theo’s shoulder.

“Well… I didn’t necessarily fight back as hard as I could have.”

“Why not, Othello?”

“Heartbreak, I guess. The woman I loved… chose the life my brother could provide for her over the one I could. The life I ended up having with Jessica.”

The cab boomed down the highway, and Theo shook his head slightly, a smile forming on his lips.

“It’s funny how things work out sometimes, Fallen. Jess gave me the life I thought I had been denied. She gave me children, she gave me a home, she gave me love… she gave me a life, yet all I gave her in return was death. That’s why at the very least… I must, I absolutely MUST give her peace.”

“Rest assured, Othello… we will give her and your children the peace you desire.”

Theo nodded as he took a deep breath. The conversation between the two continued all throughout the drive to the prison, and while it mostly consisted of generic stuff like discussions about the previous fights, and how weird and disgusting some of their foes were, it never felt forced. The drive itself took around half an hour, and both Theo and the Fallen looked out the window.

“This place really is in the middle of fucking nowhere, Fallen.”

“This place also serves as a prison, does it not?”

“Yeah, a private prison. I wonder who or what is hidden within those prison walls.” Theo said as he gestured with his head in the direction of the now visible prison.

They turned into the road leading to the prison, and what was readily apparent, was how heavily fortified the place was. There were guard towers galore, high walls topped with barbed wire, flood lights, armed guards, you name it. Even the road leading to the prison was narrow, and actually had walls on either side.

“Look at all this…” Theo remarked. “The sense of dread prisoners must feel when on this road is sure to be immense.”

“What about you, Othello? How are you feeling?”

“Honestly? I’m feeling concerned. I’m low on Life Essence, and judging by the number of guard towers and such, high on foes. I can’t use Ygg’Rael, or Daemon’s Bane. My only option is hand-to-hand combat at first, and to try and steal as many weapons as possible before launching a full scale assault on the prison. The issue with all that is that this might end up taking far too long.”

As Theo was voicing his concerns, the cab actually pulled up to the gate. There was an intercom with a speaker next to the driver’s side window, and after a few moments, Theo could hear what he thought was static. He rolled down the window, and a familiar voice spoke.

“I’ve been waiting for you to get here, Theo – no, Othello.” Krazy Native said. “The gate will be opened, and you will be allowed inside. I’ll be down to see you shortly.”

The speaker cut off as the massive gated started to open, the sound of the hydraulics that powered it filling the area. The ground actually shook as the gate slowly opened, and Theo sat in the car and along with the Fallen, looked and felt absolutely dumbfounded. They were both expecting a far more blood filled entrance, and a difficult fight to even get inside the prison, yet here they both were, waiting for the gates to open. Once said gate was open, Theo slowly and cautiously drove into the well-lit facility, his eyes surveying his surroundings. Heavily armoured guards, wearing massive suits body armour were everywhere. They all stood, watching Theo as he drove, and down the road, there was a guard who pointed Theo in the direction of the prison’s visitor’s parking. A minute or two later, Theo pulled into a parking pay in the absolutely empty parking lot. He sat in the car for a bit, just trying to think of ways and means of survival if this was a trap he was walking into.

“This is way too suspicious, Fallen.”

“I agree, Othello. However considering how low you are on Life Essence, it may be a blessing in disguise. For now, let us see where this path takes us.”

“Agreed.” Theo said as he unbuckled his seat belt and stepped out of the far.

He looked down at his filthy, multi-stained suit and sighed. He then started dusting off as much of the filth as he possibly could, before neatening up as best he could. He then strode away from his car, only to be met by Krazy Native and another man. He walked up to them with his hands by his side, and his face looking focused.

“Relax, Othello.” Native said as he slid his hands into his pockets. “Nothing is going to happen just yet. Oh, this is Mason. Mason, Othello.”

Mason, a tall, somewhat lanky man with long hair, piercings, tattoos poking out beyond his sleeves, and a manicured beard only offered a nod in greeting. Theo on the other hand, offered nothing. He continued to eye Native suspiciously, and only spoke directly to him.

“What is the meaning of this? How did you know I was coming?”

“I will explain once we are inside. Follow me.”

Krazy Native turned around and began to walk, and Theo followed cautiously. The trio of tall men all walked past a bunch of guards who all eyed Theo from behind their helmets. A few of them even raised their guns semi-threateningly when he approached.

“Lower those weapons.” Krazy Native said. “Despite wearing those Exo-Armours, if you went up against this guy, he would kill you.”

The guards looked in Native’s direction as he spoke, and after some hesitation, they followed the order, lowering their massive guns. The trio continued to walk, going right past many of the security points within the entrance area of the prison, and soon enough, they all approached an elevator.

“Where are we going?” Theo asked.

“I just want to show you something before we get down to business.” Native said as Mason quickly stepped in front of the other two, opening the elevator and beckoning them in.

“After you.” Theo said as he eyed them suspiciously once more.

They both stepped in as per his wishes, and Theo followed in after them. There weren’t any buttons in the elevator, and after a brief waiting period, it suddenly shot down, heading underground. The elevator trip only lasted a matter of seconds, before it came to an abrupt end. The doors opened up, and Theo walked out, continuing to look over his surroundings. Native and Mason walked out after him, and led Theo down the corridor, which seemed to have ambient lighting as opposed to regular lighting. They reached a door after a bit of walking that required Native to place his open palm on a sensor pad. After scanning, a series of confirmation beeps could be heard, before the door unlocked and opened. They all walked through the door, into a multi-tiered cellblock. There were a whole host of cells, all of which contained people in various stages of bondage – from none at all, to extremely heavy.

“Follow me, Othello.” Native said as he started to walk once more.

He did just that, and they walked in front of a row of cells. There were men and women inside, some showing signs of transformation; others were normal and completely human, while a few were fully transformed. Their jumpsuits were also different colours; those who were normal wearing a light shade of red, those who were partially transformed wearing a normal shade of red, and those who were fully transformed wearing a deep shade of red. They all reacted differently to the sight of Krazy Native, with some cowering, others smiling and waving – whether disingenuously or not was another matter – and others hissed, roared, barked, or otherwise threatening and hostile sounds and gestures. These reactions didn’t seem to play at all on Native’s mind, and as the small group walked past the cells, he suddenly spoke.

“So you wanted to know how and why I was expecting you, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Your actions haven’t exactly been ‘subtle’, Othello. You destroyed a club and massacred a bunch of people, while there were witnesses present. You then destroyed an entire school; the whole fucking thing. Doing things like those draws attention, and while I would like to take the credit for having some sort of super spy network, the truth of the matter is that I heard it all on the news.”

“I see.” Theo said as he looked at Native.

“Although to be fair to myself, when I heard that the shitty Club S had been destroyed and Black Widow had been killed, I knew immediately that it must have had to do with what happened earlier in the night. Then, I heard about the school, and absolutely knew that it must have been you… which was odd, because I saw your head get shot to pieces. I would ask how you did all that, but there are only two possible and logical answers to that question.”

“…”

“Either…” Native continued, without even waiting for Theo to participate in the conversation. “You had a Contract with something before we got to your house and things happened as they did, or you somehow signed a Contract during the entire thing. Personally, I think it was the latter.” Native said as he began descending down a flight of stairs at the end of the corridor.

“…”

The descent down the stairs was made in absolute silence, with only the sound of their shoes echoing throughout the cellblock. Native and Mason led Theo all the way down to the final tier, and walked out right into the middle of the floor.

“You must be wondering why I’ve not only brought you here, but also allowed you to enter this place uncontested.”

“Yes, the thought has crossed my mind.” Theo said as he finally spoke.

“Look at this place, Othello. This is a private prison, yet it is filled with fortifications and facilities that a regular, State owned prison lacks. Why?”

“W—”

“Because over here, we house criminals that the State itself cannot contain on its own. We keep Contracted Humans as prisoners over here. We also take care of those who have suffered Backfires, and are in a permanent state of transformation. Those guys often times lose their minds, and go on rampages, so we keep them detained in facilities such as this one.”

Krazy Native had been speaking with his back to Theo the entire time, and for the first time since they reached the cellblock, he slowly turned around and faced Theo, looking him in his eyes.

“The reason I have brought you here is to show you that I am different from those two fools you ran through. I am not as selfish and self-centered as that so-called Black Widow. I damn sure am a hell of a lot more self-aware than that loopy Mike D. I cannot and will not have you massacre the men and women of this prison. These people are not my lackeys, or my goons, or anything of the sort. They are my subordinates, and employees of my superiors. Your beef is with me, personally. So your fight shall also be with me, personally.”

“How fortuitous!” The Fallen boomed into Theo’s ear.

“Hmph…” Theo snorted as his eye twitched slightly while he attempted to ignore the pain in his ear. “I will destroy anybody who stands in the way of me and my revenge. If these fuckers all stay out of my way, then they will live to see another day.” They said as he bluffed his way through that powerful declaration.

“Just as I thought.” Krazy Native said with a smirk. “Follow me once to a place we will be able to fight to our heart’s content.

He then turned around and started walking once more, with Mason and Theo in tow. The walk was a silent one, and while it seemed as though Theo was also walking in silence, he was having his ear subjected to nonstop talk from the Fallen.

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“We must make the most of this chance, Othello! If you only have to use energy to fight a single opponent, you will be able to at least build up more of a reserve to fight Phantom with than you have had with these ones.”

The Fallen continued to chew Theo’s ear off, and after a few minutes of walking, the trio reached another door that was opened in a similar manner to the previous one. From there, they went into an elevator that took them above ground once more. It didn’t stop on the ground floor however, and kept rising until stopping, and opening up to the roof of the facility. On the roof, there was a massive cage in the middle of a demarcated area.

“This is something I am extremely proud of… The Cage!” Native boomed as he pointed to it. “In here, people are able to sort out their differences. The rules and parameters of the bout are decided upon beforehand, and are followed strictly during and after the fight. I suggest that you and I enter this cage, fight it out like men, and see who wins at the end. Are you willing to participate in a one-on-one battle with me?”

“I don’t see why I wouldn’t be.” Theo said. “I came here with the intention of taking two things from you – your life, and information about Phantom. Exactly how I get my hands on those two things matters very little to me.”

Krazy Native grinned, and nodded.

“Very good, then! That means the rules for our bout are simple enough – no holds barred fight to the death, winner takes all!”

“Woks for me.” Theo said as he rolled his neck, stretching it somewhat.

“Mason! You heard the man! We fight to the death, and in the event that I die, you become the new Warden.”

“Understood, Sir.” Mason said with a nod.

All of a sudden, Krazy Native ran around to the other side of the cage, where a second entrance was. The sound of a warn blaring caught Theo’s attention, and two doors on opposite sides of the cage slid open with a loud clang.

“Please enter the cage. Any and all weapons you have on your person are allowed in the cage, however, please take note, the fight ends when your life ends.”

“You seem pretty confident that my life is the one that will be ending, Mason.” Theo said, virtually spitting Mason’s name out.

“Not at all, I just meant that death signals the end of the fight, nothing more.” Mason retorted.

Theo confidently strode through the gate, which shut behind him. Another gate in front of him opened, and both Theo and Native strode into the centre of the ring. Almost immediately afterwards, lights came on around the cage, and revealed a very large crowd of people, who coincidentally all started shouting and cheering the moment the lights came on. Theo looked around at the gathered crowd, and scoffed.

“Don’t let them get to you, Othello! Come at me with everything you have!”

Theo turned his head to look at Krazy Native, only to be greeted by the sight of him disrobing.

“What the… why—”

“You know Othello, for what it’s worth; I’m sorry about what happened to your family, man. I have a wife and four kids, and I can’t even begin to imagine how sitting in that chair and watching your wife and children get mutilated and cut to pieces while still alive must have felt.”

Native said this as he tossed his shirt and undershirt to the ground. He even flexed a little bit as they hit the floor.

“What the fuck is this guy saying while getting naked?” Theo said, as if he was asking the Fallen.

“You know, I actually knew about you before tonight. We run – or at least ran – in similar circles back in the day. And I heard all about this cat they called the ‘Bringer of Death’, who was an absolute beast. Rumours about your prowess with a firearm were rife, and people spoke about you as if you were some kind of boogeyman.”

Native then ripped off his pants, revealing ‘tighty whitey’ briefs, which elicited a chorus of wolf whistles from the crowd.

“Personally, I never believed in the boogeyman, but was still excited to hear that you were our next assignment.”

He then bent down and started taking his shoes off. Theo remained somewhat stunned as he watched this guy continue to take his clothes off.

“To be honest though, I was a little disappointed in you when I saw you in action. I mean sure, you took out the weaklings, and sure, you might have been somewhat rusty, especially considering how you had been living a life of peace for the past few years, but still. You once made Contracted Humans tremble with fear at the mere mention of your name.”

“Well sorry to disappoint you, but in my defense, I had gulped down a few drinks before I got home. “Theo said as he just shrugged as he shook his head dismissively.

“Sure, that in itself is understandable.” Native said as he stood up and kicked his shoes and socks off. “Anyway, do you know why I call me ‘Krazy native’, with a ‘K’?”

“…I don’t know man, male pattern baldness?”

“It’s because one day, I decided that I’d had enough of military life, and the way we did things. We had developed an over-reliance on firearms and body armour, and as the technology in our kit became more and more advanced, we as soldiers, as fighters, as humans, we became more and more pussified. So, I threw down my guns, took off my gear, and… well, I went on a rampage. I completely lost myself, and by the time I came to, I was standing over the corpses of those I had served with; them, who died with their armour on, and guns in their hands, and me, standing only in my underwear, with their blood on my hands, and in my mouth. It was glorious, Othello – freeing, even. Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough; let’s get this shit started!”

Theo was still digesting what Native had just said when the virtually naked man suddenly lunged at with speed and force, before aiming his open palm at Theo’s face. He was barely able to form a guard, and despite being successful in his block, he was launched backwards with such force that a shockwave emanated from the point of impact. He absolutely flew into the cage, which surprisingly had very little give, and didn’t even flinch from the force with which Theo crashed into it. He landed on the ground and was forced to take a knee, as he peaked out from behind his smoking guard.

“Holy shit… such power… where does it come from?” Theo mumbled under his breath.

“His obscene strength more than likely comes from his Bond, Othello. It is all as a result of the boost afforded to him by his Bond with his Contracted Entity.”

“What is this entity, Fallen? Is it demonic in nature?”

“More than likely, however we would actually have to see this man transform or use a Life Essence based attack.”

“Understood. I can’t possibly hope to compete with this bastard with strength.”

“Speed it is then, Othello.”

“Speed it is.” Theo confirmed as he stood up and took a deep breath.

He suddenly lowered his body into a stance that was almost sprinter like, before pushing off from where he was standing and absolutely zooming towards Krazy Native. Theo then leapt up in the air and shaped as if he was about to throw a punch, when Native suddenly jumped at him with a giant grin on his face. He spread his arms wide, and completely tanked the punch that Theo ended up throwing, before wrapping his arms around Theo and catching him in a bear hug. When he had Theo in his grasp, Native raised him up and tossed him like he was a sack of potatoes. Despite the short distance between him and the ground, Theo hit the ground so hard that he bounced rather high. During the bounce, Native kicked Theo in the midriff and sent him flying into the fence once more, before leaping up and catching Theo’s head in his right hand, landing against and pushing off of the cage and slammed Theo hard into the ground, head first.

“This place will be your grave, Othello!” Native boomed as he smiled sadistically, his demeanor now changing.

He then stood up and shaped to throw Theo across to the other side of the cage when Theo suddenly grabbed Native’s wrist with his left hand, before driving the palm of his right into the elbow of the arm that was holding him, producing a loud crack, and a groan from Native, who released Theo’s head. The two men were about the same size and height, although at 6’6 and 250lbs, Native had the physical edge. Theo, who was bleeding from the nose launched into an attack, aiming particularly for the side with the broken elbow. He threw and landed hard punches to the body, each one hitting the same spot and once again, Native let out a pained groan. Theo suddenly saw a blow coming in from the corner of his eye, and quickly raised his right arm to block the shot. Once again, the blow was brutal, launching Theo off of his feet, and drawing a loud cheer from the crowd. He didn’t quite make it to the cage wall this time, and landed on his feet, sliding back some. Krazy Native didn’t even waste a moment and he charged Theo, taking the offensive initiative. He thrust his left fist directly towards Theo’s face, and it took all Theo had to tilt his head to the side and slip the large fist. Despite avoiding the fist, Theo still felt immense heat and pressure coming from the forearm that zipped past his head, but he quickly got to work, digging the body once more with short hooks. He doubled up on the hooks, but suddenly felt Native’s elbow catch him on the jaw, snapping his head to his right, and forcing him to take a few steps to the right as well. Native then threw a left hand in the direction of Theo’s chest, which Theo evaded by swiveling his body, using his right foot as a pivot. He then caught Native’s left wrist with his left hand and prepared to thrust his palm through the other elbow, but Theo was suddenly hoisted off of his feet and tossed to the other side of the cage, his back hitting the cage wall. He recovered enough that he landed in a crouched position on the ground, before standing up slowly, much to the enjoyment of those gathered.

“This man is powerful, Othello. In terms of brute strength, there are only a handful of demon clans that could impart such strength.”

“You still need to see him use Life Essence before being able to see which clan it is, don’t you?”

“Precisely.”

“I’m on it.” Theo said as he wiped the blood from his nose. “I don’t know how much longer I can fight at this level, and take hits from this bastard.”

Theo activated his aura as he drew out more strength. The moment his white aura appeared, the crowd started whistling and cheering again, as if it was the first time in a long time they had seen one – despite all working in this prison. Krazy Native grinned as he raised his right arm. He seemed to flex it, and the area around his elbow glowed yellow, and a sound similar to the one Theo produced when he would heal could be heard. A few moments later, Native started bending his arm at the elbow up and down.

“Good as fucking new.” He said as the grin grew in size, before suddenly pushing off from where he was standing.

Theo assumed the simplest of orthodox fighting stances, looking at Native approach rapidly from behind his guard. Native got busy the moment he was within range, planting his left foot and launching his right towards Theo’s head, attempting a high kick. Theo just managed to duck below the kick, before dashing in and closing the space between him and Native. He threw a blindingly quick one-two combination that landed on the button and threw native’s head back. Native’s right hand suddenly swung down and caught Theo on the cheek, and despite only having one foot on the ground and being off balance, the shot still rocked Theo. All of a sudden, Native’s foot hit the ground with authority, and a left arm clothesline smashed its way through the air. Theo saw it coming, and with athleticism and flexibility he had yet to display, managed a sort of corkscrew flip to evade it; twisting and spinning like a human shaped spinning top. He quickly extended his legs, left first and then his right, and caught Native on the chin with the heel of his left shoe, and then the toe of the right; three times a piece and completing a six kick combination. The crowd went absolutely nuts as Theo landed on the ground, doing his best to ignore the dizziness. Krazy Native had been taken off of his feet by the kicks, and blood gushed out from his mouth as if it had just burst from the natural casing of a sausage in a seething hot skillet. With a roar, Native virtually willed himself into recovering, and rushed Theo, absolutely mauling him in the process. He threw potentially life ending hayemakers with every punch, and Theo was barely evading and slipping them. The crowd would gasp with every single punch that was thrown and missed, and it felt as though they were at a like fight in a casino or underground, illegal fighting ring. In the midst of the hayemakers that he was throwing, Krazy Native briefly abandoned his attempts as decapitating Theo and suddenly thrust his foot into his stomach, sending his opponent hurtling towards the other side of the cage, shacking into it like a wet rag against a wall. Theo leaned his back against the wall, testing to see how much ‘give’ it had. He had only taken his eyes off of Krazy native for an instant, but the moment he looked ahead of himself, he found Native right upon him, thrusting his open left hand at Theo’s face. He managed to avoid the hand, but the right was quickly thrown, and it connected flush on Theo’s face. It threw his head back, but it bounced off of the cage and right back into the path of the fist, which struck him again.

“Payback for breaking it, bitch!” Krazy native boomed as he threw yet another right hand.

Just as the previous two, it connected flush as it hit the target, with blood spewing from both Theo’s mouth and his nose. Whether due to the fact that the crowd was cheering every single landed blow, or for some other reason, Krazy Native threw yet another punch, but this time, Theo managed to duck beneath it. He suddenly hooked his left arm around Native’s right, and then did the same to native’s left with his right. Theo then slid his hands down both arms so that they were placed on both elbows. Native’s eyes suddenly grew larger but his attention was then drawn to Theo’s knees that were rising up between the two of them. The knees suddenly extended, and the soles of both of Theo’s shoes were suddenly on his chin, pushing his head and neck backwards. At the same time, he suddenly felt immense pain in both elbows as Theo pushed his hands towards each other. It only took a matter of seconds, as Native’s wails of pain were interrupted by two loud and sickening cracks. Immediately afterwards, both arms were released, and Theo pulled his feet and legs back as he grabbed onto the cage wall and used it to generate enough momentum for him to turn around, before thrusting his right foot down hard and directly at Native’s right knee, driving his foot through it completely with another sickening crack. Native let out a roar of pain before his left heel crashed into Native’s jawline as he completed a heel kick. The brutal attack sent Krazy Native flying back into the centre of the ring, where he lay on the ground, gritting his teeth in pain. The crowd was stunned and silent, as they had never seen the Warden in such a state. Theo stood with his back leaned against the cage wall, wiping the blood from his face with his sleeve, and breathing deeply.

“…in order to heal and possibly gain the upper hand once more, that fucker will have to tap into his Life Essence.” Theo said in between breaths.

“…magnificently done, Othello.” The Fallen cooed. “You firmly have the upper hand in this fight.”

“I’m being sloppy, Fallen. In fact, I’ve been sloppy the entire night… I’ve been hit with too many shots that would have killed me if it wasn’t for this fucking Boost… I’m so rusty.”

Krazy Native, who had been grunting and groaning while trying to stand up, finally got up on his left foot, while his right foot and both arms dangled painfully.

“You should have taken this chance to kill me, Othello… now; you’ll pay the price for making that mistake.”

Immediately after making that declaration, Krazy Native let out a massive roar that resulted in a shockwave pulsing out from his foot. The crowd was completely silent, but that was no longer due to shock or anything. They had witnessed this before, and their reaction was mostly out of fear. The ground shook at Native’s foot, and his eyes began to glow bright yellow, along with his shattered elbows and knee. The sound of healing bones could faintly be heard before being drowned out by Krazy Native’s roars and screams. He looked at Theo and grinned as his body and face were riddled with bulging and pulsing veins, and his muscles began to grow in size, his flesh was rippling and moving as if something was about to burst out from it. His face started to morph and change shape, and his torso began to grow in length while his legs shrunk, also changing shape. Coarse brown fur forced its way out of his skin, completely covering his arms, legs, and torso. His face morphed and changed into what looked like that of a bull, and sharp horns pierced his forehead, shooting out and sending blood flying about. The horns then branched out, producing a number of sharp and dangerous points and tips. His fingers became covered in some kind of hard, hoof like substance that was able to bend and allow him to form a fist. Horns also forced their way out Native’s shoulders, and they grew to be thick, long and pointed. They looked like they were caked in dry blood, and with a final roar and a bit of a flourish, the transformation was complete. Krazy Native stood at seven feet, at the very least, and had put on around 150lbs of sheer mass. His legs had morphed into the shape of a bull’s hind legs, and arms were bigger and longer than before. The horns on his head were jagged and multi-pronged, whilst the ones on his shoulders were just long, pointed growths. His face was completely in the shape of a bull’s, and as he grinned, he revealed a mouth full of yellow and brown teeth, as a long, thick tongue flopped out, and dangled.

“I know which clan this person is Contracted to, Othello.” The Fallen said.

“The Tauren?” Theo asked semi seriously.

“The who? No, he is Contracted to a demon from the Jagged Horn Clan.”

“Give me the quick rundown on them.”

“Speed and power; that clan possesses some of the fastest and strongest demons of the Netherworld. They are in the unofficial Top 5 in terms of speed, and unofficial Top 3 in terms of strength. Be careful, Othello.”

“Understood. Let’s do this.” Theo said as he sneered at Krazy Native, his aura suddenly becoming more prominent as he did.

“I have a question for you, Othello.” Native said, his voice sounding sadistic and otherworldly. “How old are you?”

“Going on 31.” Theo answered cautiously. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I just recently turned 38, and for 28 years, I used to think that the greatest joy in the world was my family. My wife, my children, I used to believe that I lived for them. But then something happened, and I discovered something faaaarrr more satisfying and fulfilling.”

“Is that so?” Theo asked as he tugged on the cuff of his left sleeve. “What did you discover?”

“My Contract with Ra’Gul. Through the contract, I found the greatest pleasure one could ever experience in life… eating human flesh!” Native boomed as he spread his arms wide, even laughing as he did.

Theo raised an eyebrow while shaking his head, and suddenly felt the Fallen’s vessel touch his left shoulder. He sighed and looked to his left, expecting to see the Fallen giving him a look of ‘I told you so’; instead what he saw was a look of absolute disgust and anger.

“Filthy demon!” He exclaimed. “Othello, this creature must die!”

Theo looked at the Fallen with a look of absolute shock on his face.

“Really, you fucking hypocrite!? ‘Consume, Othello!’ ‘Consume her flesh!’ ‘It tastes great with barbeque sauce!’” Theo said as he tried his best to impersonate the Fallen’s voice, which took its toll, and resulted in Theo coughing for a bit.

“I do NOT sound like that!” The Fallen boomed while looking at Theo, before looking ahead at Krazy Native. “We consume out of necessity, Othello. That… thing consumes out of pleasure… filthy demon.”

Theo looked at the Fallen in silence as he once again felt somewhat confused by its stance on demons. He then looked at Krazy Native and sighed as his hands rose into his guard.

“I used to snuggle up on the couch with my entire family almost every single day. Last night was one of those rare nights when I didn’t, and as it turned out, it would be the last time I ever had the chance to. I hope you said goodbye to your wife and kids this morning as you left for work, because you aren’t going back.” Theo declared harshly, eyes glowing bright, aura pulsing into the sky.

Native just boomed with laughter before he pushed of from where he was standing, cracking the asphalt below him and absolutely thundering towards Theo, who could barely even react in time, just, and I mean just blocking the open handed attack that was aimed at his head. No sooner had he blocked the shot, was Theo hitting the cage wall with such force that he thought his back had shattered, and that his life was at an end. Blood shot out of his mouth, spraying out almost half way across the cage, and the pain was so immense, he almost passed out. When he realised that he could still feel the pain, Theo quickly smacked his face with both hands.

“TO THE RIGHT!!!” The Fallen screamed, and Theo didn’t even look or anything.

He quickly dashed to the right with as much speed as he could muster, and the sound of Native absolutely smashing into the cage wall in the space vacated by Theo was heard. The fence, which was usually so taut and firm, bent and stretched as Native hit it, and Theo didn’t even try to hang about dashing away once more, just in case. The pain in his back and forearms was still really high, but Theo was battling through, trying to maintain his focus on Native who was recovering and turning around.

“Are you alright, Othello?!” The Fallen asked as it looked at Theo.

“Holy shit… I’ve never been so hard in my entire life…” Theo said, a feature warping grimace on his face. “That said, looking at what just happened, I think I’ve figured something out. I just hope I can avoid this fool’s attacks long enough to confirm, and then capitalise.”

Theo assumed his stance once more, hands up in his conventional guard. There was a nervous energy amongst the crowd as once again, Krazy Native charged, with the ground below being torn up once again. This time he was leading with the horns on his head, and Theo was able to move out of the way with barely any time to spare. Native absolutely smashed into the cage wall once more, and Theo created as much space as he possibly could between Native and himself, his gaze fixed on Native, watching everything that happened. Native suddenly used the momentum generated by the cage wall springing back to leap towards Theo, this time leading with his right shoulder as if in an attempt to gore Theo through the stomach. Theo ducked and rolled beneath Native this time, rolling into the centre of the cage and then dashing to the side, just in case Native was about to use that bounce attack again. He quickly stood up, and faced Krazy Native, before assuming his stance once more.

“How long are you going to keep evading, you coward?!” Krazy Native roared in annoyance.

“Not for much longer, you freak.” Theo said as he slowly caught his breath. “I’ve got you figured out, now.”

“Is that so?!” Native said, still shouting. “Well bring it on, then! This is a winner takes all death battle! Your body won’t be satisfying if you don’t put up a meaningful struggle!”

Theo shuddered somewhat as he heard Krazy Native speaking about his body with his tongue hanging from his mouth like that. The Fallen’s vessel also shuddered as it lowered itself to Theo’s shoulder once more and looked at him.

“Othello…”

“Don’t worry. I meant what I said… I have him figured out. So long as I don’t fuck up, this fight is in the bag.”

Theo’s demeanor was brimming with confidence, and he slightly altered his stance, where before he was standing flat footed, Theo was now on his toes, ready for quick movements. His eyes barely blinked as the glowed and focused on Krazy Native, who threw his head back and let out a booming roar. Theo watched as native readied himself to attack, eyes growing larger as he focused more.

‘…shoulder!’ Theo said to himself as he started to move.

Native suddenly charged him, leading with his left shoulder. Theo dashed to his left, and as Native flew past him, Theo stood and watched, shaping as if he was about to attack, but then dashed away to create some space once again. He stood and watched intently as Native once again used the cage wall to generate momentum and flew towards him once more.

‘…head!’

Theo initiated a short and quick roll beneath the flying Native, and for a fraction of a second, was in a position to attack the exposed torso. He didn’t however, and rolled away once more, creating more space. He stood up to his full height, and assumed his fighting stance once more, with something of a smirk on his face. The smirk seemed to infuriate Krazy Native, who let out another roar and charged once again. Just as he had before, Theo identified which attack was in coming, and avoided it, however this time, he went on the attack after having avoided the shoulder horn, nailing Native in the body with a vicious straight right. He quickly moved away to the other side of the cage, and Native bounced off the wall, before leading with his head. Theo rolled under Native, and as he completed the roll, hit him with an uppercut to the midsection, before rolling and then dashing away. Native seemed to be tanking the shots though, as he continued to use the cage walls to bounce and maintain momentum. He gradually started moving faster and faster between bounces, and Theo had to remain as vigilant as he could to not only keep his eyes on Krazy Native, but to also dodge and then retaliate as well. Much to Krazy Native’s frustration, whether it was a shoulder barge, a headbutt, or a palm strike, none of his attacks were landing, and to make things worse, all of Theo’s attacks to his body were. He let out a rage-filled roar as he flew towards Theo, with the intention of attacking with both hands at the same time. He was in midair with both arms cocked back when he saw Theo shaping to kick him in the body. He blinked and saw Theo initiating the kick, before blinking once more and suddenly seeing Theo back in his orthodox stance, shaping to throw a punch. Krazy Native’s arms were both low, both blocking the kick to the body.

‘Why are my arms down there?’ Native asked himself. ‘Why am I blocking, even though they didn’t hurt me?’

Krazy Native didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that he was bleeding from the mouth again, and he had subconsciously tried to block the attack to the body. He suddenly noticed the smirk on Theo’s face once more as his eyes grew wider in realisation.

“You sack of shit…”

That was all Native was able to say in that moment as Theo’s right fist smashed into his entire face. Theo had planted his feet firmly on the ground and leaned in with his entire body, adding as much weight to the blow as humanly possible. The moment Theo’s fist made contact with Krazy Native’s face, a shockwave emanated at the moment and from the point of impact, and while Native’s body continued moving forward, his head remained stationary on Theo’s fist. As Theo completed the punch, he leaned forward, and drove Krazy Native into the ground, head first with an earth shaking force. Blood sprayed out from around Theo’s fist, and he remained in his kneeled position, his fist buried in Native’s face, whose body was still in the strangest position – with both arms still across his body, and his legs pointed straight up towards the cage ceiling. Theo removed his blood soaked fist and slowly stood up, looking down at Krazy Native with glowing eyes.

“…your mistake was thinking that your stupid unarmed, unarmoured technique for taking out armed fools was going to work on me. I am far more dangerous than any fool with a gun.”

Theo then reached down and grabbed Native by his neck, and pulled him into a neck hold, positioning himself behind Native. He squeezed tighter and tighter around the giant neck, resulting in Krazy Native starting to jerk and squirm as he battled for breath. Theo suddenly twisted Native’s neck from side to side, a cracking sound echoing all throughout the cage as he broke Native’s neck. He repeated the neck twists three times, before speaking.

“Payback for my wife and my children, bitch!!!”

Theo then suddenly crouched down lower, before the wings of his cape materialised and flapped hard twice, just as Theo himself leapt up into the air, completely pulling Krazy Native’s head, neck, and spine out from his body with a procession of sickening cracks. He then shot out from the cage, smashing the ceiling to smithereens as he flew high into the sky, blood shooting out from the headless, spineless body that slumped to a bloody heap as broken links and bits of scaffolding rained down into the cage below. The entire crowd gathered split their attention between the bloody ring, and the winged figure, holding the head and spine in one hand, slowly gliding down back to the ring. Theo’s aura was bright and pure, and in the brief time it took him to get back down to the roof, those who were looking up at him were completely mesmerised. As soon as his feet touched the ground, Theo suddenly held the head and dripping spine above his head and let out a victorious roar, which much to his surprise, was met with cheers and clapping by the crowd. He quickly tossed the remains in his hand to the ground, and quickly summoned the Fallen’s serpent ‘pets’, which stunned the crowd to silence once again. Theo wasted no time in having them rip the horned head apart and consume the brain within. For the first time that night, Theo was able to contain his vomit, but not without a few scares. He knelt with his mouth covered, and retched a few times.

As this happened, he saw images of Krazy Native, standing outside what he assumed was his house, grilling up steaks, sausage links, and burger patties. He suddenly looked behind him to see his youngest son trying to sneak up on him and scare him.

“Damn it!” The young child said as he grinned at his father.

“You’re much too young, and much too clumsy to get the better of my, Kyle.”

The young boy called Kyle suddenly started giggling as Native reached down and ruffled his hair. Another of his sons emerged from the house and approached his father and brother.

“Is it okay if Jacques and Bongs come over, Dad?” He asked.

“Yeah, that’s totally fine.”

“Thanks, Dad.” He said appreciatively as he reached down and picked up his kid brother. “Come on, Ky-Ky. Let’s leave dad to grill in peace.”

“Someday, it’s gonna be YOU who’s grilling in peace! You better start practising!” Native boomed light heartedly.

Soon afterwards, Native’s wife and daughter brought some bowls to the table on the patio, and set them down, before smiling at him as they walked back inside.

“Oh, Daddy, Ryan said he’s on his way back from the liquor store.” His daughter said.

“Okay, thanks for letting me know, my baby.”

She smiled warmly and went back inside, and Native’s wife then smiled at him from inside, with Native reciprocating and blowing her a kiss. He continued to smile as he let out a sigh and looked at the grill once more. He then looked down at the apron he was wearing, which had the words ‘World’s G8test Dad!’ painted on it, which made him sigh once more.

“…I want to eat them all so badly.” He said as he looked up towards the sky.

“No, none of that.” Came the response from a man with a familiar sounding voice who was talking with his back to Krazy Native, peeing in a bush. “We’ve discussed this before; your family is off limits, Native.”

“I know, Boss. A man can dream though, can’t he?”

Theo came to just as that particular memory ended. He had an absolutely disgusted expression on his face, although whether it was because of the brain or the memory he had just witnessed, only Theo knew. He looked to his left to see Mason, the man who had been with him and Krazy Native standing next to him. Theo looked at him in silence as he shook his head, and spat repeatedly, as if once again trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

“…fucking disgusting.” He said to himself.

“Then why did you do it?” Mason asked.

“Because his brain has information that I require.” Theo said as he took a deep breath.

The amount Life Essence he received from Krazy Native’s brain was higher than that received from previous occasions. He started healing his injuries, which despite how hard he was hit, weren’t all that serious or that high in number. Theo was looking for a relatively clean bit on his sleeves to wipe his mouth with, but couldn’t find one. He suddenly saw Mason offering him a clean kerchief, and after a bit of hesitation, he took it with a nod of appreciation, and began to wipe his mouth. What Theo saw next shocked him as Mason suddenly spat on Native’s corpse and flipped him off.

“I hope you rot in Hell, you piece of shit!” He said as he spat once more.

Immediately afterwards, everybody else spat as well, flipping him off their own special ways. Theo watched this silently as he wiped the blood off his fist with the kerchief as well.

“He was a sack of shit.” Mason said, even without Theo having asked. “He was an abomination of a human being, and as you can see, I’m not alone in rejoicing in his death. The things he forced us to watch take place in this fucking cage…” Mason spat on the corpse once more, before looking at Theo. “My condolences with regard to your family.”

“Thank you.” Theo said with another nod. “Sorry about the kerchief.”

“Don’t sweat it. You freed us from this fucker. Ruin anything you want.”

Theo tossed the kerchief on the floor and nodded, before turning around and walking out of the cage. He made his way over to the edge of the roof, and looked for the visitors parking. His wings materialised once again when he found it, and just as he shaped as though he was about to jump, he heard Mason speak.

“We can take you down there, you know.”

“That’s not necessary.” Theo said as he looked back. “Take care of that fucker’s family, Mason.”

He suddenly jumped off the edge of the roof, as he spread his wings and started gliding towards his cab.

“Magnificently done, Othello.”