Daniel's Dangerous Dynasty

An old face from the past has emerged, and with it, complications start to rise within the already present complications. Whether he likes it or not, Daniel feels the need to protect someone he didn't think he'd ever have to protect... his ex girlfriend, Darla.

Meanwhile another figure emerges from the shadows... a Hunter from the West. And just like the Horsemen, he seeks Daniel out as his prime target.

The sun was starting to set at this point. From the center of Diamond Peaks City, a homeless man sat there, below his makeshift shelter. A coin jar was sitting at his feet, and his eyes were growing heavy.

Soon, he let out a long yawn, before drifting off into a deep slumber.

However, his slumber was cut short when he heard the sound of his coin jar sliding across the street. His eyes shot open, and immediately he saw a young man in a black jacket, running away from his stand, jar in hand. The back decal had a skull with crossbones on it, and the words "DEATH'S HAND" below it.

"H-HEY! THAT'S MY LUNCH, YOU BASTARD!" he shouted before springing to his feet and chasing after the young thief.

The thief was fast, but the homeless man was determined as ever. The thief then broke into an alleyway, while the homeless man turned to chase him through it.

*WHAM!*

Suddenly, a baseball bat crashed into the homeless man's chest, sending him flying back a few steps, and falling to the ground, now completely winded and in pain.

"Aww... what's wrong, gramps? Running out of breath?!" one of five men asked, as he and his four companions approached from the shadows of the wall. They were all wearing the same jacket, and one of them was holding the baseball bat.

"Yeah, gramps! Can ya tell us what's botherin' ya so much, thatcha gotta get yourself all worked up?!" another one added.

From across the street, a masculine figure stood there with hands on his hips. From the shadows, a pair of dark brown, tan-spurred boots stepped out.

The homeless man curled to his stomach and tried to lift himself back up to his knees, but then the bat crashed into his left ribs, causing a nasty crack to sound out.

He was wheezing at this point, while the thug looked at his bat and frowned.

"Shit, man. That was my only one!" he complained, before shrugging his shoulders and tossing it aside.

"P-please... I beg of you... s-stop... I... I-I won't bother you again, I s-swear! Y-you... you can keep the money!" the homeless man begged.

The thugs only laughed, as they each reached into their jacket pockets.

"You're right, Gramps," the pack leader began, before pulling out a pistol and aiming it at the homeless man's head. "You ain't gonna bother us again."

*BAM!*

A bullet flew across the street, and directly onto the thug's pistol, sending a shockwave that forced the gun out of his hand, and inflicted serious pain to it. He knelt down and yelled, while the other four quickly pointed their pistols towards the source of the unknown shot.

*BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!*

In less than half a second, all of their pistols flew from their hurting hands, and they all backed away, as the stranger started crossing the road, revolver in hand.

The man was dressed in a cowboy's attire, with a long brown stetson, a brown cow-vest, a dark brown shirt underneath, matching brown cowhide chaps over dark blue Carpenter Jeans, and naturally, his spurred, dark brown boots. Over his shoulders was a red shroud. His face, from the nose down was covered in a matching red bandana. He had baby blue eyes underneath his gruff, grizzled appearance, and his long-brown hair covered the sides and the back of his head. In his right hand was a solid silver revolver with smoke coming out of the barrel. His hands were both covered in dark brown full-leather gloves.

He squinted his right eye at them, and muttered one phrase. "Ya live by the sword, ya die by the sword..."

That was the thugs' cue to turn tail and run away in fear, while the cowboy twirled his revolver in circles. He tossed it in the air, then caught it and slid it into the holster on his belt.

He then approached the homeless man and knelt down to one knee, stretching his hand out for the poor man to take.

"Yer gonna be fine there, fella. C'mon, let's getcha back to shelter." he told the man.

The homeless man took his hand and, in one pull, was back on his feet.

"Th-thank you, sir... thank you so much! You... y-you save my life!" he stuttered, shaking the cowboy's hand gratefully.

The cowboy nodded his head at him. "Ah, was nothin' fella. Jus' doin' my part'n keepin' the peace, is all."

He then followed the homeless man back to an old, abandoned office building. Ever since the war of Armageddon, the building was mostly destroyed, save for a few good walls within. With it having been abandoned, several homeless took the place over, and established a makeshift shelter out of it.

The homeless man signaled the cowboy to wait, and so he did. Then the man approached the front entrance and knocked a special way.

The door cracked open, and another homeless man answered. They spoke for a bit, while the cowboy waited patiently.

Both heads turned towards him briefly, before they looked back at each other and spoke a bit more.

The man inside the building then nodded his head, and the door cracked even wider open. The homeless man then returned to the cowboy and smiled.

"Sorry it took so long... we're not necessarily supposed to be in here, but... well... it's a bit cold out, so there's nowhere else we can stay to survive in." the man admitted.

The cowboy nodded his head in understanding. "I know what it's like ta live in harsh conditions, fella. Ya ain't gotta worry, I won't tell a soul."

The man then bowed his head in appreciation, as they entered the building.

"What's your name, by the way?" the homeless man asked the cowboy as they sat around a barrel fire to keep warm.

The cowboy rubbed his gloved hands over the barrel and turned to face the homeless man. "The name's Chris."

The homeless man nodded his head and rubbed his hands to build up the heat. "Well, Chris, my name's Peter. It's, uh... it's nice to finally meet a good face around here."

Chris nodded his head and smiled behind the mask. "Peter, huh? I knew a Peter once... he was a good man, who was a bit down on his luck as well... 'till I showed up and helped 'em out of it."

Peter smiled back at him. "Sounds like you're just a blessing in disguise, Mr. Chris. So, uh... what brings you here, anyways?"

Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photo. "Well... I'm lookin' fer someone around here, actually." He offered Peter the picture then, and asked, "Have ya seen this man before?"

Peter looked at the picture and frowned, before shaking his head and offering the picture back. "Sorry, Chris, I... I can't say I have."

Chris took the picture with a grateful nod, then slid it into his vest again, and pulled out four 100 dollar bills. He handed it to Peter, who stared at it in shock.

"That's too bad... I heard he used ta work here, once. Thought ya might've seen 'em around the block." Chris said, as he turned back towards the fire.

Peter's eyes then opened a bit wider, and he looked at Chris. "A-actually, Chris, I... I..."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Now that I think about it... I have seen that man before... but only once."

Chris looked over to him again and raised an eyebrow, as Peter continued.

"It was about, say, short of a year ago. He was stepping out of here, carrying a box. Then suddenly, it started to rain on him. His box broke, and a sweeper crushed his possessions. In all honesty... it was just plain unnatural the way how things were going for him! Like from one misfortune to another, side-by-side! I honestly felt bad for him at the time... I wanted to help him... but sadly, I know that there was nothing I could do at the time."

Chris nodded his head and leaned back against his metal fold-up chair. "Then what happened?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I... just fell asleep. But then, I was woken up by a loud bang! I opened my eyes, and he was flung into the wall... because the poor man was struck by lightning! I was about to jump up and call someone to get an ambulance, until... well... he just stood back up and shrugged it off like it was nothing!"

"Hmm... sounds like one tough cookie."

Peter smirked. "Heh. You can say that again... but unfortunately, when he got to his car, he must've lost his keys because he yelled out in anger, and kicked the tire. However, there was also a cop that just turned around the corner right as soon as the alarm went off! He was arrested then, and hauled away before I could even get there to explain the situation to 'em."

Chris nodded again. "I see... was he a local, or a state?"

"Local, actually, so they most likely went down the station just up the road." Peter said, pointing in said direction. "Just take South Street for a couple miles, and turn right. It should be just around the corner there."

Chris tilted his hat at him and stood up. "Thank ya kindly, Peter."

"Wait!" Peter requested, making Chris stop and turn back around towards him. "Before you go, uh... just why do you need to see that man, anyways?"

Chris then walked up to him and sat back down, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'd tell ya, but... it's sorta a family matter."

Peter nodded his head. "Then... would it be alright if I said a small prayer for you, at least?"

Chris nodded his head and smiled again. "Sure ya can, Peter. Go right ahead."

They both then bowed their heads, and Peter began.

"Oh, Lord... thank you so much for blessing us, and bringing Chris here in our hour of need. Please, oh Lord, watch over us. And most importantly, please, Lord, watch over Chris, as he goes to do that which he needs to do. I pray that you guide him and his family, keep them safe, and bless them in your glory. It is in your holy name I pray... amen."

Chris nodded his head and patted him on the shoulder again. "Amen, brother... that's a good prayer right there. I promise, ya keep that faith strong, and one day, things'll turn up fer you and yer family up here. Of that, ya got my word."

Peter nodded his head, and smiled back at him. "Thank you, Chris. I, uh... hope we'll cross paths again, someday."

Chris turned and started to leave, replying, "We will, Peter. I know we will... y'all be safe, now."

And with that, he left the building, and started to walk towards the Police Department.

Daniel brought a small cup of tea to the couch and offered it to Darla, who was still shaken by the recent events. She looked up at him and smiled briefly, before nodding her head and mouthing out, "Thank you..."

Daniel nodded his head and took a seat next to her. "Any time, Darla. So, uh... you said your boyfriend helped you escape?"

She nodded her head and took a sip of her tea. "Y-yeah... I know, kinda strange, isn't it?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you were one hell of a looker back in High School, so... no, not really."

She seemed to feel a bit better at that, shaking her head. "Oh, you. Anyways, so uh... how's everything been for you lately?"

Daniel lifted his left hand up and pointed at the black ring on it. "I'm a married man, now. I have a loving wife, and even a beautiful daughter with the cutest smile out there!"

Darla's eyes widened, before she smiled and looked away, nodding her head. "That's... that's great! That's great, Daniel! I'm... I'm happy for you!"

Daniel smiled back at her and tilted his head. "You're happy? Why Darla, last time we saw each other, you kinda wanted to throw me out of the window to our apartment... then you decided the door was much better."

She sighed, and her smile was gone, replaced by a frown. "I know, Daniel... I was... well, I was going through a phase at the time. And... despite that, it was no excuse to treat you that way."

Daniel's smile faltered as well, and he looked away from her. "Shit, I'm... sorry, that was a bit insensitive of me."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "No, it's fine, Daniel... I deserved it."

The officer lady was sitting there, staring at the picture. She then looked back up at Chris and shook her head.

"I... I wish I could tell more about him, but... well... we had to clear all records of him." She handed him the picture again, and he slid it back into his pocket.

"Why did y'all have ta clear the records?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir, but it's against regulations for me to-"

"That's a beautiful daughter ya got there, ma'am." Chris said, pointing at the picture on the desk beside the officer.

She looked at it and smiled. "Oh, uh... thank you, sir. Her name's Patty. She, uh... she wants to be an officer like me when she grows up, but I keep trying to make her be a teacher, instead."

Chris nodded his head. "I bet. Can't imagine the pain it must be, ta see yer own child get involved in a dangerous business like this, huh?"

The officer sighed, nodding her head. "Whew. You can say that again..." she said, before her eyes looked up into Chris's.

She then closed her eyes and shook her head, looking down and leaning her head into her hands.

"Mrs. Ruby..." Chris began, leaning against the counter. She looked back up at him uneasily. "From one family to another... I have ta know where he went. It's... it's very important ta us."

She thought hard for a moment, before relenting. "I'm probably going to get fired for this..." she muttered, before reaching over to a drawer and pulling out a folder.

"Here... we might've cleared his records from the system, but we still kept his paperwork, just in case something else came up."

Chris nodded his head in thanks before looking at the paperwork carefully. He tapped on his address, and looked at the officer. "Mind tellin' me which way this address is?"

Ruby looked over at it, then nodded her head. "It's right at the base of the mountainside, near the suburbs. Just head back to South Street, then go up North, and keep on for about ten miles until you reach the area."

Chris winked at her and placed the paper back in the folder. He gave it to the officer and turned to leave.

"Yer daughter will be safe, y'know... she's got a bright future ahead of her. More importantly, though... she's got a good mother ta keep her safe, no matter what life she chooses." he assured her, as he placed a hand on the door.

With that, he left the Police Department, while Ruby looked at the picture and smiled, gently rubbing her thumb over her daughter's image. Regardless of what her boss might say at this point, her day just felt a whole lot brighter, now.

Daniel sat there with his own cup of tea and nodded his head as Darla continued.

"And then after Tony told me that I had to deal with my problem, I... well, I went to therapy."

Daniel nodded his head at her and smiled. "And that's when things finally improved for you?"

She sighed and nodded her head, smiling at him. "Yeah... everything was finally getting better for me... or, well, for us, I guess, since we've both gone our own ways."

"Yeah... I guess it was all for the best, after all." Daniel said, placing his cup on the coffee table.

She nodded her head, and her hand slipped towards his own. "Daniel..."

He looked over at her once he felt her hand grasp onto his own. "I... I wish things could go back to the way they were."

Daniel looked down at their hands and sighed, before pulling his own hand back. "No, uh... Darla, it's far too late for that, now."

She shook her head and chuckled. "No, Daniel... not like that! I meant like before all the love and hate! Before we made those dumb mistakes! No, I... I meant like back when we were just kids in school!"

Daniel's mouth opened up. "Oh! Oh, uh... w-well, umm..."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want things to go back to the lovey-dovey ways... I just want my old school buddy, Daniel, back. The boy who stood up for me when I was being bullied... the buddy who would help me with homework... no ill will involved at all! And definitely no scandal for our new lovers!"

He bobbed his head to the side, thinking on it. "Well... eh, I guess we can at least give that a try." He then raised a finger up and looked her in the eye. "But this time, we go no further than friendship."

She smiled at him and held her pinkie out. "It's a deal, then?"

He nodded his head and locked his pinkie over her own. "Yeah... it's a deal."

She then looked over towards the TV. "So, uh... what games do you have?"

He followed her eyes and smirked. "My friend, it would be difficult to find a game I do not have!"

She then laughed. "Heh... then how about this one?"

"The Fighters of Angalor? Heh... good luck getting past me with my Gorgon Build!"

And then, they both grabbed a controller and started their war on the TV.

Alpha Team consisted of six humans and eight demons. The humans approached the house first, and found numerous salt rings amidst the decayed grass, which they broke for the demons to proceed through.

The demon leader within Alpha Team walked up to the garden and placed his claws inside the ground, then closed his eyes.
Then, he drew his claws out, opened his eyes, and turned to face the rest of the team. "The land here withered abnormally fast... he was here not too long ago."

They nodded and, together, approached the front door. When they were at the sides of said door, they leaned against the wall, before signing to three. Then, the two nearest the door rushed forward and kicked it down to the ground, and they entered the building in formation.

The inside of the living room was decrepit and old... almost like it's been around for one thousand years... including the television and the coffee table.

They looked around with their flashlights, when they saw a trail of blood near the couch. The human leader lifted his fist up to halt the team, before following the trail. When the trail ended at the fireplace, he noticed that the bricks were all loose against it. He lifted his hand to the side and raised two arched fingers, in the shape of horns, then pointed at the fireplace.

The demon leader nodded his head and approached the loose bricks. He raised his claws up and, using his magic, he pulled the bricks of the fireplace away, revealing what was behind it. What they saw made the human soldiers grip the masks over their mouths, like they were going to be sick.

There was a naked man nailed to the wall by his shoulders. His ribs poked out from his chest, and his stomach was sliced open, with his intestines fallen to the floor. His eyes were pale, and his lips were curled up to the top of his wrinkled, dry face.

What's worse... is that he was still breathing.

"N-no... no more... p-please..." he rasped out, looking towards the soldiers. "S-stop... s-stop huh... s-stop her..."

"Shh... it's going to be okay, son... just... just tell us what happened." the human leader said.

The man wheezed some more, before looking at him with his glossed-over eyes.

"I-it was... i-it was a man... I... I..." he wheezed a bit more in what almost sounded like a choking cough.

"It's alright... your girlfriend is safe, now."

"N-no... not... g-girlfriend... j-just... just f-friend..." he choked out, before shaking his head. "O-or... t-thought she was..."

The soldier looked towards his team. They looked towards each other in confusion, before the leader turned back to the man.

"What do you mean you thought she was?"

"M-man... g-green eyes... h-he p-pinned me to... t-to here. H-he c-choked me... made me... t-this way... then... g-gave her a knife..."

The entire Alpha Team's eyes opened wide in alarm.

"S-she... s-she was the one who... who did... t-the rest... t-to... me..." his head then lowered, and his breathing stopped at once. His eyes were too dry to close, though, so they rose up for a few seconds... then fell out of their sockets, only held by the thin, dry, black muscles they were loosely attached to.

Upon hearing the man's dying breath, the human leader lifted his hand to the radio on his chestpiece. "ALPHA TO BASE, WE'VE BEEN COMPROMISED! THE ENEMY IS INSIDE! I REPEAT! THE ENEMY IS INSIDE!"

The radios on the team's armor, however, only gave static, before shutting down. When the soldiers looked at them, they noticed that they were all rusted and unusuable.

Then the door slammed shut behind them, and they turned, guns and swords aimed ahead.

The wall was unusually dark, and the darkness seemed to only spread across the room.

Then, a pair of green eyes opened up from the center.

"CONTACT!" the leader shouted, before all humans opened fire at the figure within the shadows.

The figure's eyes shut, and it fell to the ground, on its stomach.

The solders stopped firing, but held their guns up towards it nonetheless.

Suddenly, a pair of green wings shot out of the creature's back, and the humans' arms and armor rusted to where they couldn't even move in them.

Then Famine was on his feet in a split second, and the demon soldiers rushed at their adversary, swinging their swords at him quickly and simultaneously.

He blocked each shot with ease, however, before slicing through the demon soldiers like butter. In merely three seconds, all eight demons were dead. He then raised his hand up towards the human soldiers, and at once, they began to exhale out of control, as the life was quickly sucked out of them, until they were all nothing but husks.

Finally, after Famine snapped his fingers, they all fell to the ground, completely lifeless.

Famine sheathed his sword and walked past the bodies, staring at the dead man on the wall. He then lifted his phone up, and it started to ring.

"Hey, is the place ready yet?"

...

"Good. I'm on my way. No, don't meet me there. If something were to happen, then I need you both separate, so that you can take over."

...

"Actually, I found a solution already. That solution should already be at his house, by now. When all's said and done, he'll be within our grasp. Then, we can finally get some answers on where our brother went!"

...

"Oh, need I remind you? He can't die, so it won't be an issue. He'll just wake up with one hell of a headache."

...

"I gave her the marker, yes. She'll be there soon."

...

"Oh, don't worry. That won't be an issue, either."

He hung up his phone, before turning towards the shadows. Then, after walking into the door, he vanished out of sight, leaving the carnage behind him.

Daniel finished the game and smirked. "Huh... guess we're at a stalemate, huh?" he asked, looking at the 5-5 victory and defeat board.

Darla chuckled at him. "Hey, just because I was in the Cheer Squad doesn't mean I don't know how to work a pair of sticks up!"

He laughed, before replying, "That's what she said!"

"Oh, fuck off!" she said, playfully slapping him on the arm.

Then the door began to knock. "I'll get it, don't worry!" Daniel said.

She nodded and stood up. "Alright. Hey, can I use your bathroom, please?"

He nodded his head and pointed at the hall. "Oh, sure thing! It's the last door on the left!"

"Thank you!" she said, as she made her way into the bathroom.

Once inside, she pulled a small vial out of her pocket and opened it. The lid was a swab, and the contents were blood red. She puckered her lips and applied the oozing material to her lips, before sealing it shut and sliding it back into her pocket. Then she pulled a small pen-like stick from her other pocket and pressed it against the wall, then drew a large rectangular shape on it, and a circle at the central-left.

The picture of a door opened, and on the other side stood the interior of a large, abandoned warehouse. Famine was standing there on the other side, with his arms crossed.

"Is he ready, yet?" he asked her.

She bowed her head to him and replied, "Almost, Master. I'll bring him in here as soon as the coast is clear!"

Famine nodded his head. "Good... don't fail me, and you may very well be there to see how it all turns up."

She smiled at him and saluted, before sliding out of the door behind her, just in case Daniel or anyone else notices.

When she made it into the living room again, she saw Daniel speaking to Caim.

"Hmm... no, that's perfectly fine, Caim! In fact, I want you to make sure Beta doesn't die out there." Daniel said.

Caim knelt before him and replied, "As you command, Master. No harm shall befall them while I stand!"

Daniel nodded his head at him. Then he closed the door and turned around to face Darla.

"Oh! Hey, Darla, that was fast!" he said. "Alpha Team went silent, so they're sending a few more guys to check on the..." the then raised a suspicious eyebrow and pointed at her. "Wait... is that new lipstick, or something?"

She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "What? It's the end of days... doesn't mean I have to look all ragged!"

Daniel nodded his head, then did a double-take. "Wait, are you calling me ragged?!" he then asked her.

She chuckled, shaking her head. "No, of course not! It's just, uh... well... that beard's gotta go, dude!"

He tossed his arms out. "What? I like the beard!"

She rolled her eyes and took another step closer to him. "Yes, but does your wife like the beard?"

He deadpanned at her. "My wife has more facial hair than I do, so... maybe?"

She ignored that statement and gave him a friendly hug. "Oh, I'm just messing with you, Daniel. You look great, really!" she said into his ear.

He smirked, slowly raising his hands up to return the hug. "Uh... Darla, what are you doing?"

Before he could get a response, he felt her lips press onto his cheek, and he immediately pulled back.

"Whoa, whoa, stop! Darla, I thought we weren't..." he began, until his eyes began to grow heavy. He gripped onto his forehead and groaned in pain, as a feverish surge began to pull him to his knees.

Darla walked past him and used a salt shaker to seal the door, before tossing said shaker over her shoulder.

"Darla, what... w-what's going..."

She pressed a finger up to his lips to silence him.

"Shh... don't worry, Daniel. I know you can't actually die, so the Kiss of Death should only be a minor inconvenience for you."

"Y-you... y-you..." he could only whisper at this point, before his eyes shut, and he fell to the ground.

She then grabbed onto his shoulders and started to drag him into the hallway when the door began to pound.

Darla was right in front of the bathroom door when the front entrance was kicked open by a human soldier. The impact brushed the salt away, and broke the barrier for Demons to enter again. Upon noticing Daniel being dragged by Darla, however, the soldier raised his gun up in the air. "YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE! DROP HIM RIGHT NOW, AND GET TO THE GROUND!"

She ignored the soldier's demands and dragged Daniel into the bathroom before he could even open fire. So the soldier, along with five extras and two demons who rushed in behind him, reached the bathroom door, right as the portal was about to close.

Darla waved goodbye at them, and the door drawing sealed shut once again, with Darla and Daniel no longer in sight.

Immediately after that, the wall on the other side of the hallway exploded open. Before the soldiers could even turn their guns around, the green van crashed through the entire house, destroying and killing anything and anyone in its path.