Daniel's Dangerous Dynasty

Despite the warning, despite all the defenses, and despite all the precautions that were made, Daniel now finds himself captured once again! Only this time, the enemy took extra precautions as well!

Meanwhile, Diamond Peaks City is in for a rude awakening, as a monstrous van now runs on, as its nameplate implies, a rampage!

A few soldiers and demons fly here across the yard, while others fly there and elsewhere, whether in one piece or several pieces. The snipers fired at the monster's wheels, but the bullets, upon making contact, deflected right back into their foreheads, where their limp bodies fell from the towers and crashed onto the ground below.

A few additional snipers took shelter behind the towers' walls, but the van sensed their presence, and drove into the bases of the towers, sending them toppling down into the road.

"WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS!" a soldier shouted at his radio, shortly before the van was upon him, biting into his legs, then into his neck, silencing him mid-scream, as his head rolled from its metal bladed fangs.

A few more bullets recoiled from its side, so it made a U-Turn and crashed into the soldiers, while demons approached it from the side, weapons drawn. Their weapons, however, shattered upon impact, and the van spun in circles, as its doors opened from the bottom and raised up, slicing through the demons' necks, and sending their heads rolling to the ground.

It wouldn't take long, and the entire yard would be filled with nothing but dead soldiers.

Daniel's eyes slowly opened up, and at once, he felt a massive migraine forming in his forehead. He groaned and moaned, as everything was a blur.

Then, his memories kicked in, and he blinked a few times, while a blurry face emerged from below his vision.

Darla's voice was distant, despite her being so close to him. He tried to move his arms, but quickly found out that he was tied up to something.

Then she spoke again, and he was finally able to make out her words.

"Oh, good! He's coming to!" she said, placing a hand on his chest.

He grit his teeth at her, which only made her chuckle.

"Sorry, Daniel... it's nothing personal." she said.

"Darla... what the hell's going on?" he asked her, now able to see her much more clearly.

She shrugged her shoulders then pinched his cheek and replied, "Oh it's quite simple, Daniel... you see, the world's about to end! If we want to survive it, then we all need to choose our side! And so, I chose the side that's destined to win, while you, sadly, chose differently! I mean, come on! Your dad basically told you that Heaven's bound to win, and yet you still chose Hell, even to the point that you'd marry the fucking Devil of all things!"

She burst out laughing at him, tossing her arms out. "Seriously, Daniel! I've heard of hanging with crazy, but that right there just takes the cake!"

He growled at her, as she continued to laugh at his misfortune... before his lips formed a small smile.

Then, his growling became a chuckle... and finally, he started laughing back at her, which made her laughter halt, and she looked at him confused.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Wow! You know, I... well... somehow, I always knew you were a bitch, but damn! This really takes the cake as well, doesn't it?!"

She smiled back at him and placed a hand on his shoulder, as he continued.

"I mean, let's be real here! Yeah, I might be on the losing side, but you know what?!"

"What's that, babe?" she asked, gently rubbing his cheek.

He then let out another smirk, before replying, "I'm married to the Devil, herself! Now I can actually say with both confidence, and proof, that you are a metric fuckton worse than that!"

She tilted her head and cooed. "Aww..."

Then, she slapped him across the face, making him growl a bit in pain, as the sound echoed through the entire warehouse.

Though the pain surged on his cheek, he shook it off and smiled at her once again. "Heh... and she can slap much better than you, too! Hell, that was nothing more than one of her 'Love Taps'! So go ahead and do it again, if you must... 'Love Tap' me, bitch!"

This time she dropped her smile and pulled her hand back. Then, after giving a casual shrug, she reeled her arm back, balled her fist up, and slugged him directly into the nose, drawing a small stream of blood in the process.

"AAAGH! F-FUCK!" he shouted, as his shoulder twitched, trying to rub his nose, but to no avail.

Now breathing a bit more heavily, he grit his teeth, and looked back up at her.

"H-heh... heh... you know... I can't wait until this is all over. That way, when I'm sitting on the throne in Hell, I get to fucking watch you burn..." he muttered to her.

She punched him in the stomach as a response, making him wheeze in pain. Then, instead of giving him more time to speak, she walked over to the end of the platform she was standing on, and picked up a thick metal pipe with a knobby curve at its end. She gripped it with both hands and walked back up to him, eyes locked on his.

He sighed, closing his eyes and wincing, as he mentally braced himself for its heavy impact. "Great... as if you weren't already giving me a headache by just being here..."

She gently tapped his face with the tip of the pipe, and giggled. "Oh, baby... who said I was aiming for this head?"

His eyes widened in alarm as she reeled the pipe back in a golf-like stance, then swung at full-force between his legs.

*CRACK!*

And that was the breaking point. His screaming filled the entire room, as tears immediately gushed from his eyes. His head, once raised up high upon his screaming, soon dropped down, while his breathing was mixed with grunting, heavy whines, and numerous curses and swears directed towards Darla.

Then the sound of clapping caught her attention. Turning around, Darla looked over the railing on the platform, as Famine walked towards them on the ground-level.

"Alright you've had your fun now, my dear! As entertaining as this is, though, I still need him conscious!" he called up to her.

She chuckled a bit, before bowing her head and tossing the pipe back down onto the platform. Daniel was just hanging there with his head knelt down, still breathing, whining, and crying, as he was now in pure agony.

"Heh... sorry, Master! Just got a little bit carried away there!" she replied to the horseman.

He waved a dismissive hand at her. "No need to apologize. Once finished with interrogations, I plan to do far worse, anyways."

She saluted him, before going towards a control switch and pressing a button that lowered the platform back down to the ground-level.

"Of course, Master! So, is there anything else you need me to do for you?" she asked, as she approached him. Once close enough, she knelt down to one knee and bowed her head to him.

He took a few steps forward, then gently caressed her cheek, which made her look up to him with a smile.

He smiled back at her, and his green eyes began to glow once more, as his gaze was now fixed onto her.

She slowly started to exhale, to the point of choking. Her smile faltered quickly, and her hands shot up to her throat, as she looked up at him pleadingly and confusedly.

"Oh, my faithful little follower... no, that won't be necessary."

She coughed a few times, as her flesh began to dry out. Her stomach deflated, her muscles were starting to shrink rapidly, and her eyes were starting to sink deeper into her skull, while they glossed over the deeper inside they got.

"You've done well enough for me... but as unfortunate as it is, I now have what I need, so your services are no longer required. Furthermore, my dear, I never really said I needed a permanent slave... so with that, I thank you for your faithful services, and bid you adieu."

He then pulled his hand back, and her lifeless husk fell to the ground, completely void of life.

Daniel was in too much pain and shock to truly bother watching the scene... but he heard it, at least, and a weak smile returned to his face. "Yeah... I'll see you in Hell, bitch..." he thought to himself.

Then Famine shrugged his shoulders and looked up at her. "Oh, rest assured, her soul was far too corrupt for Heaven, anyways."

Then his green wings appeared from his back, and he started to fly up to where Daniel was.

"Hmm... ironic, isn't it, that the last Miracle Child suffered a similar fate, huh? Although, the girl suggested spikes, but I decided against it, as I'd rather you still have some form of wakefulness." he said.

Daniel raised an eyebrow, and looked up briefly at his current predicament... then rolled his eyes and grumbled.

"Oh, for the love of... tell me this is just a sick fucking joke..." he muttered, as he realized that he was, all this time, tied up to a long, wooden cross.

Daniel then lowered his head and sighed at the, as Famine simply put it, irony of the situation. Famine now hovered one foot away from him when he continued to speak.

"You know, Daniel, this could actually go a lot better for you, if you choose to comply."

He slowly raised his head up, and his eye twitched. With grit teeth, he then asked, "... The fuck are you talking about?"

Famine then glared darkly at him, with his eyes pulsing for a moment. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now, where is my brother?"

Daniel's smile then grew, as he looked up at the sky, as if thinking for a moment.

"Oh... is that... all?" he asked. He was still panting between words, as he felt himself very winded from the yelling and crying. His legs were starting to go numb, but the pins and needles between them prevented the numbness from providing any comfort or relief at all.

Famine crossed his arms and nodded his head. "Yes. Tell me now, and I shall consider making this much easier for you. For starters... I may give you a moment or two to actually breathe!"

"Ah... okay, then... that's fair... I'll... I'll tell you where... your brother is..." Daniel practically whispered.

Famine then chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "See, now was that so hard?"

Daniel shook his head and smirked. "Your... your brother is..." he began, as Famine leaned in a bit closer.

"Your brother is..." Daniel began, before gritting his teeth again, ", out of your reach, motherfucker."

With that, he leaned his head back and slammed his forehead into Famine's nose with all his might.

Famine, however, didn't even budge an inch. Blood began to trickle from Daniel's forehead. He reeled back in even more pain than he was in before having the bright idea of headbutting a literal Horseman of the Apocalypse in the face.

To compare, he felt like he would've had better luck headbutting a twelve-foot-thick, deeply embedded, diamond-reinforced floor immediately after leaping from a falling, nitro-boosted MACH-5 Jet Plane, and landing head-first at terminal velocity going downwards, all while breaking the sound barrier in the process.

Or in the three simple words that he would've chosen to use to sum it all up: that fucking hurt.

"Agh... FUCK, that hurt... ahh! N-not gonna lie... I... didn't exactly... think that one through all the way..." he said, before weakly chuckling to himself.

Famine just deadpanned at him, before lifting his hand up one inch from Daniel's face. Immediately, Daniel exhaled sharply, and started to choke as he felt his breath being forced out of his system very painfully slow.

"No... you really did not." Famine answered for him, as he continued to drain Daniel's breath for well over a minute.

Rampage scooped another human soldier up and crunched his legs back, until they snapped and folded against the back of his shoulders. His scream rose several octaves up for only a split second before he flatlined, with his arms, chest, and head falling from the van's fangs, and falling limply to the ground.

A pair of soldiers were on its roof; one demon and one human. The demon was slicing at its frame, while the human was stabbing at it with his Combat Knife; both of which yielding no results. They glared at the beast before looking towards each other.

"THERE'S NO STOPPING IT!" the demon told the man.

The man nodded his head. "THEN WE NEED TO KEEP IT DISTRACTED! AS LONG AS IT TAKES!"

The demon looked at him confusedly. "WHAT?! NO, WE HAVE TO RETREAT!"

The truck then made a sudden stop and arched its back up, flinging the demon and the human across the yard.

They rolled and grunted in pain, as the earth and the sky blurred around both of their visions, until they came to a halt.

The human stood up first, and held his hand out, helping the demon back to his hooves. He glared at the truck, before bowing up his chest towards it.

Its engine revved in retaliation, while the demon, of whom towered over the man by about twice his height, looked at him in shock. "What are you doing?!"

A trickle of blood fell from the man's helmet, and he glared at the beast before them. He knew there was no escaping this. And so, he turned his eyes towards his companion and replied, "I'm standing my ground. Go... open a portal, and escape. But I will stay here, and keep it distracted, even if only for a split second."

The demon's eyes widened even further at this man. He was only a human... and yet, he held up a face braver than most humans out there. To face his own demise with such courage. At that moment, the demon felt respect for the man.

And so, the demon looked at the van and glared, before drawing his sword and holding it between the man and the monster. "What is your name, human?" he asked, not taking his eyes from the van.

The man, despite being addressed, kept his eyes on the van as well, as he replied, "Private Tomas, of the United States Army."

The demon nodded his head. "I am General Shenoba, of Hell's Army."

A trickle of sweat fell from the demon's forehead, as the van's engine hummed a second time.

Shenoba then briefly looked at Tomas, and grinned slightly. "Private Tomas..." the human then looked at him. "... It was an honor to fight by your side."

Tomas looked at the van again, and nodded his head. "And it was an honor to have fought beside you, General Shenoba."

And with that, the van opened its fangs and sped across the yard, towards the remaining two soldiers.

...

Time immediately felt as if it were slowed down. The soldiers closed their eyes and braced for impact, as their lives flashed before their eyes. How their families awaited their safe return, wives and children. How they would mourn for years to come, as their beloved husbands and fathers fell in, what they already predicted to be, their final skirmish.

...

But then, from their left, and just a few meters forward, a crack began to tear into the air.

The crack quickly spread open, and a purple swirling vortex emerged. From within the vortex, a black limo armed with chains on its sides sped through, set on a collision course for the rampaging van, at a blurring speed.

The soldiers stared at the driver in a mixture of awe and shock, as Death smiled cockily at the van. Left hand on the steering wheel, and right hand on the gear, he looked straight at the van and let out a cheer.

"TOOT TOOT, MOTHERFUCKER!" he shouted, before pulling the gear down. Blue fire shot from behind the limo's exhausts, as it plunged right into the side of the van, sending it rolling across the yard, with its wheels and doors scattering across the yard.

It landed on its side, and slowly, its lights dimmed into nothing.

The limo swirled around, until the passenger side was right in front of the soldiers. Death looked at them and nodded his head. "Sorry I'm late, you guys!"

Shenoba's jaw dropped. "Death! Where the hell were you?!" he called out in shock.

Death motioned towards the van. "Well, this asshole had me pinned out of all entrances because of all the fallen towers and the salt rings! And so, I had to take a detour to get my speed ready for a teleport!"

Tomas sighed before saluting him. "Well... you sure picked the perfect time!" he said.

Death then nodded his head. "Yeah... but I also had to make a few extra trips! Y'know... I needed to evacuate the neighbors, from all this carnage! And for a contingency plan!"

Shenoba tilted his head in confusion. "Contingency plan?" he parroted.

Death nodded his head. "Well yeah, man! Before becoming a horseman, Famine was one hell of an engineer! And so, I had to make a backup plan, just in case-"

Suddenly, a loud engine hummed in front of the limo. All eyes and eye sockets turned to face the van, as its parts quickly moved on their own, re-attaching to the van's upturned frame. Its lights quickly shot back on, and it used its left door to lift itself back up. It then revved its real wheels over, until it was facing the limo. Once its damage and its dents healed themselves from a green flame, the beast's fangs shot open, and it let out its metallic whinny, while Death shook his head and motioned his hand towards it in frustration.

"- in case exactly that happens!" he finished, as the van's wheels spun once more. He turned towards the soldiers. "Guys! You might wanna get in!"

They nodded and jumped into the back seat, while Death shifted gears and drove Despair out of the yard, and past the fence.

As his car sped up, he shifted gears once more, and his car levitated up for a brief moment, leaping over the fallen tower, and landing back on the road.

Shortly behind him, the van tore through the debris without slowing down, as it started to pick up even more speed towards the limo.

"Death, it's gaining on us!" Tomas said as he looked out the back window.

Death looked out his rear-view mirror and nodded his head before shifting gears once again and speeding up a tad more.

"There, that should do it!" he replied to the worried soldier. He smiled and took a sharp turn, then sped into the clearing between the suburbs and the city. "Now all you gotta do is just sit back, and enjoy the ri- HEY!" he suddenly made an outburst when his car started to shake.

He turned around, and saw that the trunk of the limo was now impaled by the van's fangs.

Death rolled down the window and glared at the van, before snapping his finger and drawing his scythe from the void. "THAT'S MY RIDE YOU'RE EATING, YOU PRICK!" he shouted before throwing the scythe at the van, piercing it in the front, and causing it to open its jaws and shriek, as it fell behind.

Death then went back into his seat and, at this point, was now furious.

Shenoba looked at him worriedly, and mumbled, "Uh... Death? Are... are you okay?"

Death, however, was now in his own little tangent, and complaining. "... JUST got this waxed last week! Mother-FUCKER!" He slapped the steering wheel angrily as he finished his sentence.

Chris approached the battlefield, where demon and human remains all splayed scattered in the red grass. He knelt down and felt some of the salt, then looked towards where the front door once stood.

He entered the destroyed building, and walked over to where the bathroom was.

Through some miracle, the wall with the drawn-out door still stood up. He gently brushed his gloved finger over the substance, and rubbed it between his thumb and two front fingers, before bringing the strange ink up to his nose, and sniffing.

"Hmm... still in town, at least." he said, before turning towards the sound of footsteps approaching from behind what's left of the corner.

A lone human soldier ran inside the house, rifle drawn, and hurriedly aimed his gun at the bathroom wall... but nobody was there.

He then turned towards the bedroom, and scouted the area. He lifted his hand up to the radio and then said, "Charlie to Beta. There's... there's no survivors here. The Base is all FUBAR and a half. No sign of the King anywhere, though, so the chances are he was taken."

The leader of the Beta Team replied over the radio, "Understood, Charlie. The city is currently under siege by the green van, but it looks like Death has its attention for now. Begin Operation: NEO and get the civilians to safety, Double-Time!"

"Understood, sir!" the soldier replied, before rushing out of the house.

As the soldier left, Chris stepped out from behind the wall, and sneaked his way out the back.

Daniel took a deep breath after once again having some of the life sucked out of him. He was panting heavily, while Famine only continued to glare at him some more.

"TALK, DAMN YOU!" he shouted, raising a fist up at Daniel's face.

Daniel weakly looked at him and smirked. "Lovely weather today... isn't it?" He then exhaled again, as more of his breath was forced from his body.

Then Famine stopped and flew back a few paces, shaking his head in disbelief. "Hmm... you know what?"

Daniel took a deep breath again, and added, "Chicken butt... heh... I bet the... thought of that... makes your mouth water... doesn't it, you... sick bastard?"

Famine raised his fist at him again, but then restrained himself this time. He shrugged his shoulders. "You win... I give up."

Daniel raised a confused eyebrow.

"There's just no breaking you, is there? You've got your whole mind set on saving the Earth! I mean... sure, it'll come at the cost of your family in Hell, but-"

"The... fuck... did you just say?!" Daniel wheezed, as his smile soon turned into a sudden glare.

Famine turned his back at him and replied, "Oh, you heard me. It's a shame, honestly, having to bargain with a few rogue demons, but hey, whatever it takes to secure a victory, am I right?"

Daniel's arms began to shake. "Stay... the fuck... away!"

Famine grinned, before pulling out his phone. He then tapped on the screen, and lifted it up to his ear.

"Yes, I've got him, so you're safe now. No, don't worry, there's no traces left, so you're in the clear. Yes... you should be getting a visitor soon... the lost soul of a young girl named Darla. Just tell her that I needed a diversion, and that she is will be brought back to life once her mission is done, or something..."

*Thump-thump.*

Something else began to pulse inside Daniel's heart... something powerful. It felt unnatural; like a beast beyond his control... and yet, it was very, very tempting for him to unleash.

"... Just tell the guards she's one of his trusted friends, of course! Let them know she's there to take care of the baby! It won't be any problem at all."

*Thump-thump.*

"S-stay away... from... my daughter..." Daniel hissed, as a second voice began to echo behind his own. The upper half of his head began to grow black with the veins underneath, and his eyes started to glow a feint, bright red color on the outside, with a light blue hue in the center.

Famine, with his back turned to Daniel, paid it no mind, and continued with his call.

"And when she has her? Hmm..." He grinned, then started to raise his thumb up to end the call. "Just tell her to throw it in the pits. Chances are, they'll never find it, then." With that, he hung up.

And then, everything went black and red in Daniel's vision. He let out a fierce, bestial roar that shook the whole building, which made Famine's eyes shoot open. He turned around, and gasped at the strange, new creature that was nearing its release from Daniel's body.

He lifted his hand up and made an attempt to absorb its breath, then reeled his hand back as Daniel continued to roar.

"W-what?! H-he's... he's resisting my powers?!" he stuttered. He snapped his fingers to draw his sword, but somehow, it failed to appear. "A-and he disabled my Spirit Blade?!"

Daniel's glowing red eyes fixated on him, and his bound arms started to shake. The arms of the cross, at that point, let out a resounding crack, as the wood was starting to break!

Daniel then let out another roar, and the building's walls started to crack perfectly in the center, followed by the flooring underneath.

Hurriedly, Famine looked around and his eyes came across the pipe that Darla used on Daniel earlier. He reached down, floated it up to his hands, and flew closer to Daniel.

Daniel continued to roar loudly, as his red and blue eyes looked up to the sky. Famine reeled his hand back, then bashed Daniel's head, drawing a large splatter of blood from his left cheek.

But his relentless roaring continued. Reeling his hand back again, Famine bashed him once more, with a little more force.

Daniel spat more blood out, and growled at him, before his roaring resumed once again.

Famine then shook his head, eyes wide in terror, before gripping the base of the pipe with both hands. With all of his might, he then let out a loud yell, and thrashed the pipe onto Daniel's head one last time, and the pipe's tip snapped off.

Daniel's eyes quickly closed, and his head arched down, as consciousness instantly faded from him. His roaring stopped, and the only sound that could be heard inside the building was the heavy breathing that came from Famine, as he stared at Daniel's unconscious form in shock.

Blood trickled from Daniel's nose, mouth, eyes, and left ear, and a hefty bruise covered the left half of his face.

Famine dropped the broken pipe and fell to the ground, sitting to catch his breath. He was beyond confused at what just happened.

"I-I don't understand! He's... h-he's supposed to be a Miracle Child!" he stuttered, before looking back up at Daniel. "B-but... i-if he truly is, then... t-then what the hell was that I just saw?!"

And for once, the horseman looked upon the human in absolute terror, as whatever he saw was something beyond his, nor any of his brothers' control.

Immediately, he began to call War.

"War... it's... i-it's Famine. I... I-I fear we may be in way over our heads here!"

Despair sped through the empty streets of Diamond Peaks City, while Rampage rushed shortly behind it, snapping at its base, with the scythe still punctured into the front of the monstrous van.

"C'mon, come on!" Death said, as he picked up speed. His destination: the harbor.

The soldiers in his back seat yelled in shock, as they feared for their lives, but Death tuned out their yelling several miles ago, for it was very, very frequent.

Then, he shifted gears one last time, and the limo flew over the dock, while the van followed right behind. The limo, however, kept flying, while the van tumbled into the water, where its lights dimmed out the deeper it sunk.

Then, the van was out of sight.

Everyone inside Despair were breathing heavily, until Death shook his head and chuckled. Turning around, he looked at the soldiers and spoke. "See, guys? I told ya there's nothing to worry abou-"

Suddenly the water shot up, and from the depths below the limo, the van emerged, jaws opened wide.

It sunk into the bottom of the limo, and pierced through the doors, crushing the sides of the limo a bit closer, and making everyone inside it yell.

"AHH! FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WILL YA JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY?!" Death shouted at the van. He stepped on a peddle, and the limo rose up, while the van remained latched on.

"THAT'S IT! YA WANNA PLAY WITH FIRE?!" Death angrily shouted, before gripping the gear and turning the knob clockwise, until the skull was upside down. "THEN LET'S PLAY WITH FIRE! DESPAIR, IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP!" He bashed his hand onto the gear, and the bar sunk inside, until the skull was all that stuck out.

Upon clicking in place, the skull's eyes started to glow blue.

The limo's engine hummed loudly, and the chains immediately detached from its sides, and wrapped around the jaws of the van, then pulled the van's grip off and swung forward, sending the van flying ahead of them.

Rampage stopped in midair and turned around, until it was face-to-face with Despair.

Despair's damage was engulfed in a blue flame, and its headlights started to glow blue. Then the exhaust pipes shifted and turned, until they were facing the sides of it, and black smoke shot out from the pipes. The smoke then shifted and contorted, until it looked like a pair of jet black wings. The front of Despair then cracked into its own set of fangs, and once it opened, it let out a metallic whinny similar to the van's.

The van whinnied back in kind, as the two monster cars now faced one-another in a challenging stare-off.

Death turned towards the frightened soldiers and held a hand up. "You guys hang tight, and whatever you do... do not get out of this car!"

They nodded their heads, while Death opened the driver-side door and climbed up on top of Despair, balancing his feet onto the hood.

"Aight, Despair! Let's give 'em the split!"

Despair roared at its master's command, and flew towards Rampage, while Rampage flew after them in return. Both mouths were open, as they were set for a direct collision-course for one-another.

Death crouched down a bit, as he waited for his moment... then, when the cars were within range, he shouted, "NOW!" and jumped.

Despair then opened a vortex directly in front of itself, and disappeared inside it, while Death flew over the portal, and towards Rampage... or more specifically, his scythe that was still stuck on its hood.

He flipped over the beast, and caught the scythe's handle, and held onto it, while the momentum did the rest of the work, slicing through the beast from the center, down to its back. Then, when he reached the back of it, he kicked his legs out, allowing him to slide down its back, while the green van hissed in, what sounded like, serious pain.

When Death reached the bottom of its back, he grabbed onto one of its exhaust pipes and pulled his scythe out of it, observing the strange mechanical devices underneath.

Then he spotted a peculiar-looking tank that glowed a green aura, and smiled. "Heh... now this looks important!" he called out, before taking his scythe and piercing the tank with it.

Rampage let out one last whinny before its damage overwhelmed it. From the top-down, it split clean in half, while the tank, once Death pulled his scythe out, burst into a green explosion.

Death flew back several yards, then sheathed his scythe and shifted his body until he was diving head-first. He took his hand up to his mouth and whistled loudly, making Despair appear from a portal behind him, falling to his level.

Then he gripped onto its roof and kicked his legs into the Driver Seat. He and his passengers let out a loud cheer, as Despair arched up, and just narrowly dodged falling into the water, even kicking some waves up in the process. From far behind it, several chunks and pieces of Rampage fell into the ocean, followed by the broken remains of its tank.

A feint green smoke rose up from the broken tank and let out a pained horse-like whine, before it scattered into the air, and faded into nothing.

Daniel's eyes slowly opened, and he found his consciousness returning to him. He whined a bit as the taste of nickel filled his mouth... his blood was covering his face... almost entirely, while his once white t-shirt was now stained in red.

Famine floated up to him once he woke up, and glared towards the human. "You know it's not too late, Daniel. You can still save them. Just tell me where my brother is, and I'll let you return to Hell... and you can have that 'Happily Ever After' that you humans always desire!"

Daniel closed his eyes and thought for a moment, before looking back up at him and frowning.

Famine was about to ask him again, but Daniel spat blood onto his face before he could even say anything else.

His glare intensified, and he gripped Daniel by the throat. "I will get my answers... either with, or without you!"

He raised his hand up and started to drain Daniel's breath again. Daniel began to cry out more blood, as his vision rapidly started to blur, and darken.

"Immortal or not, you are nothing but a mere human!"

Then, from near the direction of the entrance, someone let out a loud whistle.

"Then why not pick on someone yer own scale?"

Famine dropped his hand and turned around, only to find Chris standing there in the middle of the room. His arms were tucked away at his belt, and he was just standing there, casually looking up at the two of them.

Daniel's vision slowly returned, and he looked over at the new face. "N-no... g-get away... g-go!" he tried to usher Chris, but it was too late.

Famine floated down to the ground level and smirked, before drawing his sword. He then tilted the blade at the intruder, and demanded, "Who... are you?"

The cowboy nodded his head in greeting, replying, "The name's Chris."

Famine nodded his head and rested his blade against his shoulder. "Well, Chris... I know not how you got here, nor what business you even have here, but... this is a Family Affair!"

"Heh... funny ya mention that, cuz I'm here on Family Business, too." Chris replied casually.

Famine tilted his head and frowned a bit. "Hmm... well, that's unfortunate, then. I suppose I'll just have to find your family..." In a blur, Famine then rushed after Chris. "... SO I CAN DELIVER THEM YOUR HEAD!"

He sliced at Chris's neck, while Chris raised a single finger up.

*CLANK!*

Both Daniel and Famine stared in shock, as Chris's finger simply stopped the blade in its tracks.

"W-what the?!" both Daniel and Famine muttered, as Chris raised his thumb up, and snapped his finger.

A massive torrent of wind emerged from all around Chris, sending Famine flying into the wall on the opposite side of the room. He couldn't even move as the wind relentlessly pushed at him, even with his wings present.

Then the wind ceased, and Famine rushed after Chris yet again.

This time, Chris casually side-stepped, and Famine missed his swing, while the momentum kept him flying towards the entrance.

He used his blade to assist in his stop, before turning around and rushing at Chris once more.

Chris shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, then ducked, dodging Famine's next swing. He then twirled around Famine and lifted his finger up, then gently pressed the center of his back.

Famine flew into the wall again from the mere touch.

He turned around and hissed. "Stop... TOYING WITH ME!" he shouted.

Chris then opened his eyes and replied, "Aight, then. If ya insist."

Famine then rushed towards him with his sword now glowing.

*BAM!*

In less than a fraction of a second, Chris drew his revolver and fired a shot into the sword's blade.

And then, Famine's glowing green blade shattered into dust, and the shockwave stopped him in his tracks, as his jaw froze open.

Daniel's eyes were like saucers at this point. He didn't know who this mysterious 'Chris' person was... but whatever the case, he was finally enjoying the show for once, as he watched his torturer get toyed with by one of his betters.

Chris then twirled his revolver and slid it back into the holster. "Tsk. Ya should've know what would happen if ya brought a sword to a gun fight."

Famine took a couple steps back, as his newfound terror was in the form of this strange figure.

"N-no... NO!" Famine shouted, as he turned around and ran towards the wall. He held his hand out and opened a dark portal, then ran inside it.

Chris, however, raised his hand, and Famine flew back out of the portal, as it shut right in front of him. "Nope... not this time, Famine." Chris muttered.

"N-no, NO! NO! YOU CAN NOT DO THIS TO ME!" he shouted, but Chris ignored him. He grabbed Famine's wrists and forced them behind his back, then held him like a sheriff would hold the one they were apprehending.

"Matter of fact, I can. Father's orders." He then looked over to his left and nodded his head.

When he nodded his head, another portal opened up, resembling a prison with chains wrapped around the solid stone walls.

"Too bad fer you, partner. I happened ta build a cell with yer name on it!" Chris said, before tossing Famine into the portal.

Famine quickly hurried to his feet and held his hand out, but before he could even reach the other side, the chains from within the cell wrapped around his wrist, and pulled him back into the room. More chains wrapped his other wrist, surrounding his arm, his waist, and even his wings. Then the chains pulled him onto the wall, as he screamed out loud.

The chains then wrapped around his neck, his legs, and in the matter of seconds, he was practically chained entirely to the wall, with no way of escape.

"MY BROTHERS WILL AVENGE ME! YOU HEAR ME?! MY BROTHERS WILL-"

Chris snapped his fingers one last time, and the portal shut abruptly, sealing Famine's fate for good.

Then Chris looked up towards Daniel and lightly chuckled. "Well howdy there! Didn't get too banged up, didja?"

Daniel smirked back at him, shaking his head. "Oh, nah... I just... y'know... have a habit of hanging with the wrong crowds these days."

Chris shook his head. "Well, on the bright side, at least they didn't use the nails!"

Daniel nodded his head back at him. "Heh... yeah, I guess that's true!"

Then Chris approached the platform and looked up, tapping on the button to raise it. "Well anyways, just keep hangin' in there! I'm gonna cutcha down!"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Okay, the hanging jokes are starting to get old, now..."

When Chris made it up to the center of the cross, he shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, well. Guess I'm still just a bit too old-fashioned these days."

He snapped his finger, and his Spirit Blade emerged. Rather than an impressive blade, however, it was only a small carving knife.

Daniel took note of this.

"W-wait a second... is... is that toothpick your Spirit Blade?!"

Chris paid his quip no mind and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure is. Was never really much of a fighter, personally."

Daniel raised an eyebrow, as Chris began digging at the ropes around his legs. "And yet you carry a Revolver?"

Chris nodded his head again. "Rubber bullets. Jus' cuz I don't kill don't mean I don't use the hands-off approach every now an' then."

"Oh... wait, how'd a rubber bullet manage to break that freakin' sword into pieces?!"

Chris finished cutting the rope on his legs, and started with his left arm. "It wasn't the bullet that broke the sword, but our father's will. Best get ready."

Daniel nodded his head, then paused, before looking at him even more confused, now. "Wait, our father's will?!"

*SNAP!*

And just like that, the final rope was cut, and Daniel fell flat onto his stomach, on top of the platform.

"Oww... gee, thanks for the... warning..."

Chris shrugged his shoulders. "Said fer ya to get ready."

Daniel rolled onto his back and groaned. "Ugh... well... m-maybe if I had more than just a couple seconds?!"

Chris then chucked a bit, before leaning down to help him up.

Daniel took his hand, and let Chris help him up into a sitting position. He then looked over at Chris, and asked, "S-so, uh... I guess in all seriousness, I owe you one, man. So... t-thank you!"

Chris waved a dismissive hand at him. "Ah, was nothin', Daniel."

"Wait... how do you know me, anyways? And... and what did you mean by our father?!"

Chris sighed, before sitting down in front of him. "Figured you'd have some trouble catchin' the hint... well here, lean forward a bit, please." he asked.

Daniel tilted his head, but complied. Chris then reached his hand over to the left side of his face, and gently pressed his palm up against it.

A sudden surge of energy filled Daniel's entire body, as all pain within him suddenly faded into nothing. His breathing returned to normal. He was, for lack of a better word, completely healed!

He backed up a tiny bit in shock, but Chris remained seated, as he pulled his hand back.

"H-how?! How did you..." Daniel stuttered.

Chris shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "C'mon, Daniel. Ya seriously can't tell by now?"

Daniel blinked owlishly, before shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. "After all the crap that's been going on... I just can't tell anything anymore!"

Chris nodded his head in understanding. "Well, then lemme show ya in a way I know you'll understand. On the day the Four Horsemen roam the earth, there's one other person who appears, bearing a power greater than their own."

Daniel closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Then his eyes shot open, as he muttered, "... The Lamb of..."

Chris smiled behind his mask, and nodded his head.

Daniel then slowly raised a shaky finger up, pointing at Chris in shock. "Then that means you're... y-you're..."

Again, Chris nodded his head before gripping onto his right glove, and slowly removing it. Then, when he lifted his palm up for Daniel to see, the gears in Daniel's internal clock began ticking immediately.

In the center of Chris's hand was a large, gaping hole that he was able to see through. Immediately, he knew that Chris wasn't just some random hero. He wasn't just a random powerful entity. Neither an Angel, nor a Demon.

No... there, sitting beside him, was none other than the Son of Abba, the God of Man. There, sitting beside him, was Christ, himself... literally a god!

Daniel looked Chris in the eye, and was completely speechless.

Chris slid his glove back on and patted Daniel on the shoulder.

"I'm glad I can finally speak to ya in person now, Little Brother."