He passed a street walker making her rounds. He had roamed the city alone for a few hours now. And what he was searching for, he didn't even know. A sensation brewing deep inside the pit of his stomach ailed him until he finally answered its call. "Hey, sexy! Are you looking?" said a woman in a hot cherry red, scantily clad, leather high skirt. Not a word spoken as the man continued along the rustic street. With the ground slick from a shower that had poured just minutes after his arrival, the sounds of vehicles splashing small puddles were the only things heard in the distance. But the streets were bare as bodies dwindled the deeper he meandered down a dead end. A howling echoed in the night air as he ambled further leading to nowhere. The sounds have all but simmered down except for the distinct clacking of boots hitting the pavement in correlation with the dimming street lights. But it didn't matter. He could see every single movement in slow motion and the stench in the air excited him, inhaling the scent trail that beckoned him to this abandoned alleyway. "Brave of you to come alone, old friend," hissed a voice in the depths of the shadows. "I'm but a pawn, Crixus, so killing me will be futile." "You haven't changed, Gannicus," said Crixus, making his way into the dimly lit haze from the light post. The grimy scratching sounds from his coarse hand and stubbled face played a harmony as Gannicus responded, "How come only now, we cross paths?" "Unlike you, I died!" A silence lingered between the two as Gannicus tried desperately to make sense of the notion. "You don't believe me?" spat Crixus. "Yet, here you are standing before me in the flesh," scoffed Gannicus. "But I was a prisoner first." "Why did you summon me?" "Okay, right to the point I see. The child—I need him." "Lucius will not let you have him. And, you killed his mother. The only way this ends for you is dea—" "—Trust me, I've been there, and I don't plan on going back empty handed!" interrupted Crixus, flexing his muscles as he postured defensively. "Lucius grows stronger every day, and he's a man possessed, driven by obsession." "Let him come then. I'll give him a tour of hell personally," scoffed Crixus. "Then this was pointless!" spat Gannicus, preparing for flight. "Wait!" snapped Crixus, reaching out toward Gannicus as he added, "We were brothers once, fighting for the same cause." Gannicus stopped then turned toward Crixus, "That was a long time ago." "And that's where you're wrong!" shouted Crixus, bashing his right fist into his left palm. "You made a pact with the devil. I made a pact with the devil. And, your fearless leader also made a pact with the devil. Why fight against each other when we can fight together?" "Did you not hear what I said?" shouted Gannicus, pausing momentarily as the furrows on his forehead wrinkled, forming a massive question mark. "That's why I summoned you, brother. Take him out before he becomes too powerful then we combine the remaining bloodline and destroy all who oppose us." "I can't," mumbled Gannicus. His head dropped and his demeanor sunk lower. "You don't know what's about to happen. We're already damned! And, that city is called AM. The second coming is upon us and the heavens will open up, unleashing the wrath of God. But that child is the only key to unleashing hell on Earth. And for the first time, darkness will prevail over the light." "But that's where you're wrong, Crixus. This child still has a choice." "What choice?" spat Crixus, pacing with much anticipated fervor as he shouted, "WHAT CHOICE? I never had a choice on that mountain. I succumbed to the blade of them filthy Romans and my soul cast down to a fiery pit where I was tortured by beasts every single day." "You were filled with such vengeance then." "And you weren't? You fucking hypocrite!" "Spartacus wanted peace, though." "Oh, I was wondering when his name was going to come up," scoffed Crixus, turning his gaze, cupping his chin as he added, "I never saw him in AM, so he must've went the other direction." "And I too was filled with hate. So yes, Crixus, I made a choice then." "Lucifer wants that kid, and he'll get him whether we like it or not. But if we turn him over as an offering, we will be kings in AM." "I came across this Lucifer. He's just toying with us. We mean nothing to him." Crixus's footsteps stopped, stifling his pacing momentarily, "You're wrong, Gannicus." He lifted his right leg and continued a slow trudge, "I was set free to find Eligor's mortal. Like the many demons unleashed from AM, we had a mission to kill her. But we failed. The bitch got away, and now we're stuck." "Weren't you just complaining about hell," scoffed Gannicus. "Go ahead and laugh, but you'll see soon enough. When I go back to AM with the kid, I'll be a god!"