Two men, each being comforted by a woman, their thoughts turning to their respective losses. Their anger mixed with pain, softened only by the presence of the beauties at their side. Poetic, convenient, and wholly essential that two men such as these, dangerous and wealthy and powerful in their own rights, were much more similar then either would have liked to admit.

As it is, Lupelli and Dante were too occupied with their own situations to notice much else. Both men were being watched. Two pairs of eyes watching two different people, their goals and motivations were their own. Lupelli's spy exposed himself first.

"It's fine, Val," Lupelli said, his smile somewhat forced. While he appreciated the attention she was lavishing on him, it was only succeeding in reminding him of how he had lost. His thoughts turned to Hardy and the Insomniac. He would be seeing both of them again and he would make them pay.

"Let me just wash your face a bit," Val said, her brow showing her concern. She had become even more angellic since her pregnancy. It seemed to make her skin glow.

Lupelli sighed, chuckling. "Yes, mom."

Valentina playfully punched his shoulder. "Watch it, wiseguy."

Lupelli's brows arched at the irony of the insult, but he refrained from commenting. He shut his eyes for a second, but the impression that the two of them were suddenly not alone made them open right back up. Sure enough, there he was, metallic mask and all.

"Mystery," Lupelli said. "What are you doing here?"

"Witnessing the defeated." Mystery stepped forward. "What happened?"

"We lost," Lupelli replied, his voice failing to mask his displeasure. He heaved himself to his feet and looked down on the strange figure. "What do you want?"

"I have stepped up my plan, Lupelli. My intentions will reveal themselves in time, but suffice it to say that I have sought assistance from others. More players on the chessboard so to speak."

"Who?" Lupelli asked.

"In time I said. For the moment, you need to focus on recovery and dealing with your next opponent."

"Who'd you set me up against this time? All of Infinity together?" Lupelli frowned down at the masked figure.

"I had nothing to do with this match, Lupelli. Still, your opponent is not one to be taken lightly." Mystery turned and moved toward the door.

"Well who is it?" Lupelli yelled at his back.

Mystery turned, his mask fixing its gaze on the bald figure. "Dante."

A moment later, Mystery was gone. Lupelli sighed and sat down heavily, his head resting on his hands. "Terrific," he muttered. Things had not gone so well with Dante the last time they had faced each other.

"Is it for the title?" Valentina asked, her eyes focusing on the tired face of her lover.

"Captain Cryptic didn't say, but I doubt it. Losing doesn't usually qualify you for title shots." Lupelli stood up, wincing as his weight once again came down on his sore knee. "I wonder if Dante's still in his lockerroom. Maybe I can smooth things over a little." Lupelli paused when he saw the concern on Valentina's face. "I promise, I won't kill anyone."

Lupelli leaned over and kissed Valentina on the forehead before heading to the door. He felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach as the door closed behind him, something wasn't quite right. At first, he shook it off, but the more he neared Dante's lockerroom, the worse the feeling became. Something was definitely wrong. One thing a hitman learns from the start is to trust their instincts. Lupelli swerved away from the lockerrooms and headed toward the parking garage.

Selenia wiped the blood from Dante's brow. Dante ignored it, knowing that it would heal soon enough. Injuries were seldom a problem for one such as him. His problem now was Infinity. He should have known that they would use the numbers game to their advantage. Still, the loss came as a blow to his ego.

"You are quiet, Dante," Selenia said, discarding the bloody washcloth in a nearby wastebasket. She was capable of reading his thoughts, but in Dante's current frame of mind, it would be rude.

"Not really feeling like talking right now," he said. Images of Hammer, Hardy, Highone and Shadow flashed through his mind in turn. Infinity was proving to be a much larger thorn in his side than he thought. They would regret crossing his path, of that he was certain. They would pay.

Selenia held a fresh washcloth under the sink, letting it soak up the luke-warm water. She pulled it back and pressed out the excess water before bringing it over to Dante and resuming her cleaning of his wounds. They were already beginning to heal, but there was dried blood in several places. Dante sat in silence, letting his love tend his wounds. His mind was clouded. It was why he didn't feel the presence of the other until just then.

"Who-?" Dante began, but Selenia answered for him.

"Zagan," she said, her eyes narrowed.

Tall and thin, with skin so pale it nearly rivaled Dante's, the bearded figure stepped forward. "My eyes have been fixed on you for some time," he said, his voice deep and crisp. His black robe touched the floor as he moved, making it look like he was floating. Perhaps he was.

"Who the hell are you?" Dante asked, his eyes flashing dangerously. "I am not in the mood to be trifled with."

"He is the demon of deceit," Selenia said, her eyes angry.

Zagan turned his strange eyes upon Selenia for a moment before turning them back to Dante. "It would be wise for her to leave now," he said, running his long fingers through his equally long beard.

Dante stared at the demon, one of the few that seemed almost human in appearance. He could feel the infernal energy emanating from him, nearly crackling like lightning as it touched the air.

"Give us a moment," Dante said finally, turning to Selenia. She opened her mouth to protest, but Dante cut her off, "I'll be fine."

Selenia hesitated for another moment before relenting, stepping outside and shutting the door.

Dante fixed his fiery gaze upon the demon standing before him. "The demon of deceit, was that right?"

Zagan smiled. "That name is one of many that I have."

"Makes it rather difficult for me to believe anything that you have to say, doesn't it?" Dante stood up to his full height, still nearly a foot shorter than the demon.

"Oh, you misunderstand me completely. I never said I wished to discuss anything." Zagan stepped forward, his eyes shining. He pulled an old book, bound in black leather, from his robes.

Lupelli walked back toward Dante's lockerroom, feeling much more comfortable now that he was loaded for bear. The feeling of his twin silver berettas, holstered across his chest, gave him extra confidence. He pulled his black coat tighter and picked up his pace. The uncomfortable feeling still hung on the air like a bad smell. As he rounded the last corner, he came to a halt. Selenia stood outside of Dante's door, pacing. She jerked her head up when she noticed Lupelli.

Lupelli lifted his hands, "I'm not here for trouble," he said.

He was expecting many things, but not what happened next. Selenia rushed forward. Lupelli raised his hands, prepared to ward off the impending attack, but it never came. Selenia grabbed onto his coat and pulled him toward Dante's door.

"Help him, please!"

Lupelli looked at Selenia with wary eyes. He had personally seen her recover from enough tranquilizers to put a horse down for an hour in less than ten minutes. She had to be acting.

"Is this a trap?" he said, his hand straying towards his coat.

"He doesn't know what he's up against! He's too strong for me! Please!" Selenia's eyes watered.

Lupelli's eyes widened. What was going on? He had expected anger, distrust, even a physical attack, but not a plea for help, least of all from a woman who seemed to have no problems with handling herself. Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from Dante's room. Lupelli pushed Selenia behind him and pulled out his gun.

"Who else is in there?"

"You wouldn't understand," Selenia said, her voice wavering with fear. "Just please help him. Help Dante!"

Lupelli frowned and made his decision. "Wait here," he said.

He lifted his foot and brought it crashing against the door. The wood splintered around the lock and the door flew in. The eyes of a hitman took in several things at once. He noticed the tall man, taller even than he was, standing over the fallen Dante. Dante had apparently been forced back and had fallen through a table. Blood welled from a brand new gash on the champion's head. The tall man was holding a book and was muttering indecipherable words. Lupelli knew from the sound of them that they weren't good.

"Back off," he hollered, levelling his pistol with the tall man's head.

The figure ignored him, continuing with his incantation. Lupelli lowered his pistol slightly and pulled the trigger. There was a faint whump! as the silencer masked the gunshot. An instant later, the book was blown from the man's hand, landing on the floor with a large bullet hole through the middle of it.

"I said back off," Lupelli growled.

He finally had Zagan's attention. The tall man turned slowly and looked at the new figure to enter the room. "Ah, Anthony Lupelli, former hitman and future father. Tell me, do you truly fulfill ALL of Valentina's needs? Perhaps I could do a better job." The figure grinned as he moved forward.

"How did you know-?" Lupelli began, but the conversation was ended by Dante leaping upon the tall man's back.

"You son of a bitch!" Dante hollered, his arms locked around Zagan's throat.

Rather than looking distressed, the figure actually looked amused. He calmly reached up a hand and pulled Dante's arms away from his throat with ease. "You are not ready for me, child!" Zagan said, holding Dante in the air by his arms like a doll. With a flick of his wrist, Dante was thrown at Lupelli. The two men collided and fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Zagan turned back to look at his book. It was worthless now. "I had intended to steal your power, but the spell is gone," Zagan said, his voice revealing a hint of regret. His eyes lit up again as he looked down at the two men. "So I will have to settle for getting rid of you--" he looked at Lupelli, the man who had ruined his plan, "--both."

Zagan reached into his black robe and withdrew what looked like a mirror, surrounded on the edge by a black border with blood-red letters from some unknown language. "Farewell," he said. There was a flash of light from the mirror...

Lupelli exhaled softly and rolled over, extracating himself from Dante's legs. "What happened?" he asked.

Dante sat up, looking around the room. His eyes glanced out of the nearby window and saw a sky full of red clouds. There was no sound from anywhere. Zagan was gone, Selenia was not in the hall, nor could he contact her with his mind.

"I don't know," Dante said.

The world had changed, or they had. Dante wasn't sure. This world seemed strange in ways he couldn't describe at all, there was an ominous silence, and in fact only the breathing of Dante and Lupelli seemed to disturb the silence. The men who at one point had been enemies, and who had become something of enemies avoided each other's faces and looked at the strange world they were in.

The sky outside was strange to say the least, the heavens were red...orange they both thought at the same time. The most bothering thing about the sky wasn't the colour, it was the complete lack of movement. There were clouds, great balls of blackness that just hung there was if they had been pinned into place by some divine or infernal hand. Looking out the window revealed a completely still landscape, nothing was moving. Streets and buildings in withered disrepair was everywhere. There were cars parked, cars that had seemingly crashed into each other. But they were all still, empty and rusting slowly in the decaying atmosphere.

Silent and in bewilderment they both looked out a window each. Lupelli was the first to break the silence by speaking he shook his head and said.

"This place..I...What the hell is this place?"

Dante said nothing his mind, more attuned to the strange resonances of the world the Lupelli's was in disarray. He felt something he hadn't felt in years. Silence, his mind wasn't beating with the beat of Selenia's mind anymore; he felt that horrible empty patch in his skull. At last he shook his head and said.

"I have no idea."

The city was the one they had left, they both knew that but the world in which the city existed was different, the sky and the seemingly silent and empty city was unsettling in ways neither man wanted to experience. At a loss for what to do they both seemingly came to the same idea and decided to sit down and try to figure this problem out.

After a few minutes of silence they both reached the conclusion that they still had no idea what this place was, what had happened or why they were here. This time, Dante spoke.

"Ok, so what do we know."

"Nothing."

"Well, technically that's not true is it?"

"No, it isn't Last thing I remember was you attacking some kind of tall pale guy in your room and he dashing in to rescue you."

"Rescue?" Dante asked with a tone that indicated displeasure with the choice of word.

Lupelli frowned and replied.

"Obviously you were out of your element Dante; physical violence doesn't seem to be your thing anymore."

Dante said nothing, his eyes and face communicated all he needed to say. After a few minutes of silence, Dante sighed and spoke.

"Lupelli, you and I we worked together once, remember?"

"Of course I remember." Lupelli replied with a half-sneer.

"Good, glad to see your mind being intact. My point is this, I highly dislike what you did to Selenia last time you and I faced off...to be fucking honest I hate it."

"I hope this is leading somewhere..."

"Oh it is, just wait and see...or listen."

"I hope you have a point with this..." Lupelli said in a way that was both intended to be heard and not heard.

Dante of course heard it, but decided to ignore it.

"My point is...until we know what the fuck this place is and how we get out of here...how about we try to stick to the old business stuff?"

Lupelli nodded, and added his "I like that idea Dante...". Dante replied "Good to hear." Without even changing his facial expression.

***

The multiverse as some call it holds many strange places, places of great wonder and places of great misery. In a place that was created to cause misery in those sent there, two "men" sit on each side of a small table, on this table is a game board of sorts. Many cultures claim to have invented chess, but the truth is far more strange and infernal. The game played in this strange place of origin is different from the one played on earth, but the basic rules and pieces are the same.

One of the players, a tall, bearded and pale man looked up from the game and said "You seem to play your team well..."

His opponent, a being covered in shadows smiled and reply "They play themselves Zagan...you should know that."

Zagan, the demon described by Selenia as a deceitful creature laughs a hollow joyless laugh and picks up one of the pieces on the table. With the pitch black piece still in the air, he says.

"I honestly have no idea why you wanted to play this game with me again."

His opponent smiles a smile that can be seen through the shadows.

"Have I ever lost to you Zagan?"

Zagan's smile went away, his tone become harsher.

"No, but I do intend to change that today." He said and placed the piece next to the White piece that looks like a dragon.

***

Dante and Lupelli had signed their deal with a less then friendly handshake and had decided to leave the empty building behind. They had gone out on the streets and had begun to look for clues to where they were and how they could get the hell out of there. The streets were silent and empty, not even the wind made any sound simply because it didn't blow. Everything was still and quiet.

They walked along empty boulevards, passed desolate parks and finally they came to a place that ended the "where the hell are we?" part of the debate they had had.

They both stood and looked at the monument, they both knew the shape, even though it was ruined and wrecked they both knew it. Without actually thinking about it they both swallowed. They didn't look at each other, they said nothing for a few minutes, then they both spoke the same word.

"Paris."

**Later**

"So what has happened?" Lupelli asked as they were both sitting in what had once been Pierre's café not for from the Eiffel Tower.

Dante shook his head and replied with as honest a tone you'll ever get out of a half-demon.

"Lupelli, I have no idea. We went from that thing in the room to suddenly being in a post-apocalyptic Paris. I...I have no idea."

Lupelli took his fellow standee's opinion in and sighed. Lupelli was silent but for some reason, the pale Unified champion was feeling like talking it seemed.

"I never really ever went to Paris. Well, not until the fed brought me here at least."

"Oh...Ok" Lupelli replied without real interest.

Dante looked at him, and the temporary glare of anger passed away quickly as he realised that the idea wasn't to provoke him at all.

"I was intending to try to make good use of Paris." Dante continued in his tirade that Lupelli had no reason to want to hear.

"Ok..." He replied to at least keep the conversation going.

Dante laughed.

"I know, you don't want to hear this but well, you are the only one here so you will have t..."

A strange sound interrupted Dante and made both him and Lupelli get to their feet.

"What the fuck was that?" Dante asked.

"I have no idea, but from the sound of it it is bad." Lupelli said while drawing his weapons.

"Good point." Dante said and grabbed his near by cane.

A slow strange groaning sound seemed to come from around a corner, as Dante and Lupelli both stared at the corner hoping it was nothing, or a way back to the real world as they both for some reason thought of it.

With slow, pained and staggering steps a man neither of them knew stepped around the corner. He was it looked like a tourist, Japanese it seemed from his appearance and the cameras. Now however all that was gone and only a deep, raspy groan could be heard. He walked towards them and a she approached his hands seemed to stretch out as by proxy and grabbed after Lupelli. The Italian knew what to do, this kind's weakness was the head, a blast of his favourite weapon made the tourist fall in a strange heap.

Dante and Lupelli both looked at the creature in amazement and horror.

"What the..." Dante began.

"...fuck?" Lupelli concluded.

"Zombies? What the hell is this place?" Dante said.

"How the hell should I know?" Lupelli replied

Before this conversation went any further, A series of groans brought the seemingly last living people in Paris attention to a series of men, women and worst of all children staggering towards them. They were looking as if they were dead all of them, and from the looks of the eyes...they were. Lupelli got into a combat stance and asked.

"Dante? You armed?"

There was a slight pause.

"More then you can imagine." Came the reply.

The first Zombie reached Dante without any kind of attacking sound it tried to fight the pale man, all it got from that was two things, a swishing sound and a head less. Dante had drawn his rapier from the cane and the three words etched into it had brought about the destruction of the zombie, three words no one would expect Dante to have engraved into his blade.

Nex ut Noctis - death to the night.

A second attacker approached and stretched out its arms for and attack but it's only reply was a stab with the sword and a final corporeal death.
Lupelli on his side was handling things in much the same way but without the blade, bullets it seemed had a great effect on these living dead. Blast after blast ended the flesh eating careers of several zombies.

After a few minutes of horrid but defensive bloodshed, the horde of zombies were all dead, their lifeless bodies now as still and silent as the dead should be.

Lupelli reloaded his pistol and Dante wiped the sword off on one of the dead ones. They both knew that this was wrong, that this was strange and they both intended to find out what the hell had caused it.

But for now, they paused and rested.

***

Zagan looked like it was nothing as he without a comment removed a piece from the table, in fact the same piece he had placed near the white dragon a while earlier. His opponent smirked and said.

"They failed."

"I have time on my side my dear opponent." Zagan replied with a scoff.

"Do you?" His opponent asked.

No reply.

Zagan picked up a piece, one he knew would be much, much harder for Lupelli and the Pale champion to deal with, one that they in their home both wanted to get rid off but couldn't. At least not this way.

Then he put it down again and picked up another one, one more like the one he had used last time.

"Afraid to use you trump Zagan?" The arrogant opponent asked.

"No, fear isn't something I feel." Zagan replied.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course." Zagan replied and placed the second attacking piece of the game next to the white dragon.

Hell? Earth? Hell on Earth? Did it matter? Lupelli slid a fresh clip into his pistol. The familiar snap as it slid home was comforting. Almost as comforting as the bullet clicking into place in the chamber, ready to fly at the squeeze of the trigger. As warped as this was, Lupelli had to admit a certain enjoyment. He hadn't had the opportunity to cut loose in a long while. Try as he might, it was impossible to hide what he was. A killer, cold-blooded, calculated and most importantly-- good.

A glance to his right revealed his only company in this hellish landscape. A man as white as the rest of the world was dark. Dante, TCW World Champion and currently, one of two living humans in the area. Lupelli didn't like him anymore than Dante liked Lupelli, but necessity had a habit of breeding strange bedfellows. The two needed each other for both survival and sanity. Being alone in this world would take even the most powerful mind and tear it to shreds.

"Sun's going down," Dante said, gazing up at the sky.

"What sun?" Lupelli asked, looking up.

Perhaps Dante was rationalizing. There didn't seem to be a sun per se, but the orange and red hues were beginning to darken. The darkest reds had given way to deep purples, lined with black. The more Lupelli looked at it, the more it looked like dried blood. Clotted and matted blood. Dante was right. It was getting darker.

In the distance, there was a moan. A sword and a pistol were lifted into the air. Another moan, this coming from the other side. Another moan. And another. And another.

And another.

I'm sure you get the point.

Dante looked at Lupelli in the failing light. Even his eyes were finding it hard to focus. He knew that, in a short while, Lupelli would be virtually blind. They could not fight off an attack from all sides in the dark.

"We need to get inside, Lupelli," Dante said.

Lupelli paused for a moment, tempted to stay and fight. Another moan, this one considerably closer, made up his mind for him.

"You're right. Let's go," he said.

Two opponents made their way quickly to the building from which they had come. It seemed to have withstood the apocalypse that had befallen Paris relatively unscathed. Made of sturdy brick and with minimal windows, it would be the best protection that they would find.

Quickly, the two moved inside and shut the door. Lupelli slid the lock into place and looked at it dubiously. He and Dante glanced at each other and reached the same conclusion at the same time. It was not nearly enough.

Several minutes later, the duo looked happily upon the heavy pile of furniture and crates that they had piled in front of the door. Several hundred pounds barred the way. It might be enough to keep the undead at bay until it was light enough.

The impact on the sturdy wooden door was muffled through the barricade. There was a tense moment where Dante and Lupelli said nothing. They simply waited and listened. Several more moans and thumps could be heard, but there was no sound of splintering wood. No sound of the lock ripping free from the jam and the door being pushed open. It would hold for awhile at least. Lupelli looked around him. The emergency lights were still on in here. Whether it was from a generator or not he did not know. He didn't particularly care to be honest. It just meant that he could see.

"I think we should check this place out. make sure we're really alone," Dante said, his sword still clutched tightly in his hand.

Lupelli nodded. "I agree."

The two left the front door and began searching the building. They started from the bottom, searching the basement. There was a generator down there, but it wasn't running. Lupelli found it strange that they had lights with no power, but again he didn't question it. It was an advantage, one which he would use if necessary.

Three floors up, they encountered a single zombie. It ambled toward them, arms raised. A moaning sounded from between its lips; the sound of a soul trapped somewhere between death and whatever comes after. Hungry teeth gnashed as decomposing fingers grabbed. Lupelli sent it to Hell.

"What are you up to?" Dante muttered to the air. He was looking around as if expecting to see someone familiar pop out of the woodwork.

"Care to share anything?" Lupelli asked.

Dante glanced at him, his eyes flashing in the dim emergency lights. "Nothing that would help our situation."

"Whatever. Keep this demon stuff to yourself, I don't care about it anyway."

Dante fixed his gaze on Lupelli. "You really don't care about this, do you? How can you not be concerned?"

"Oh, I'm concerned. I'm just not scared. Living, dead, angel, demon, whatever it is, as long as bullets can hurt it, I'll be fine. Just something else for me to kill."

The hitman motioned to the staircase for the fourth floor. Dante shook his head at the stubborn Sicilian and ascended the stairs. No sooner had they emerged from the stairwell then a familiar face swam out of the dark shadows on the far side of the hall. It was instantaneous. Lupelli squeezed the trigger. There was a pop, followed by the sound of a bullet impacting flesh. This was followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.

"Jesus!" Dante hollered, rushing down the hall. He glanced down at the body and then looked back at Lupelli. "You just killed Zombie David Hardy!"

Lupelli looked dejected. "--He was a zombie?"

The rest of the building was clear. Two men sat with their backs to the wall and their weapons pointed toward the only door. The top floor provided them with the most protection. One way up, one point of entry, no windows. The debris that they had placed in the stairwell would alert them to anyone climbing the stairs. They were as safe as they could be, circumstances permitting. Exhaustian took hold of them and their eyes slid shut. Despite their better judgment, they fell into a deep sleep. A sleep that held promise of a new morning under a bloody sky.

"Is the game too difficult for you?" the opponent asked with a hint of a smile.

"All things to those who wait. I trust you have heard the phrase before?" Zagan turned to the chessboard. His hands hovered over several pieces before he found the right one. Holding it into the flickering light of the nearby candle, Zagan took a moment to marvel at the craftsmanship before sliding it onto the board.

"Interesting," his opponent said, gazing at the piece.

"I have not yet begun," Zagan said with a smile.

Lupelli's eyes snapped open. He saw that Dante was already awake, his sword held in the air.

"What was that?" Lupelli asked. He had been sleeping for some time, but something had awoken him.

Dante was staring at the door. "I do not know."

There was another crash, this one more powerful. Something was forcing the downstairs door open. Something much stronger than the zombies they had faced earlier. With a final massive crash, the door gave way. The sound of rending metal and splintering wood echoed up the stairs and into the empty room. There were several smaller crashes as the make-shift barricade was shoved aside by unseen, but powerful hands.

Lupelli lifted both of his pistols into the air and moved beside Dante. Both waited near the door, their eyes trained on the stairwell. If anything came up the stairs, they would hear it. They had made sure to line the stairs with crates and loose scraps of wood and glass. Anything to make noise. For a second, there was only silence. It descended upon them like a deafening vacuum. Then, faint at first, but growing slightly more audible, they heard a footstep. Another footstep.

"Sounds big," Lupelli said, his eyes stuck on the doorway to the stairs.

"Yes it do--"

Dante stopped short as the soft footsteps suddenly turned into the thundering footfalls of something very large running across the first floor. With a crash, something moved onto the stairwell, racing up with echoing steps. The debris in the stairs signalled the approach of something, the footsteps, thundering more loudly with each second, signalled something very large. At last, they could hear it just below them.

"You ready?" Dante asked, his sword pointing at the stairs. Light gleamed off of the razor-sharp edge, flashing much like its owners eyes.

"No idea," Lupelli admitted truthfully.

fin

"That makes two of us." Dante replied in almost exactly the same tone as Lupelli.

The floor shuddered under the impact of the feet that were pounding the stairs and then the floor. The Sound then stopped and a strange wailing sound took it's place.

"It sounds like someone forgot to close the door to the morgue." Dante said completely ignoring the sort of funny tone of the comment.

Lupelli to his credit did the same thing.

They both stood there waiting for hell to be unleashed, the carnage to begin with every nerve in their bodies wound tight as if they were strings on a violin. They both stood poised, one armed with his guns one with his sword, as if allies rather then enemies they stood side by side awaiting an unseen and no doubt terrifying adversary, one that they both feared would be their end. Lupelli felt beads of sweat begin to form on his brow from the tension and through gritted teeth and in a whisper he asked.

"What is taking that thing so long."

Dante for some strange reason seemed to know the answer.

"The door..."

"The door?"

"Yeah, it's been fiddling with the handle now for a few minutes."

Lupelli just had time to wonder why he hadn't heard that and why Dante had, after the precious few seconds that he was given to consider these things, the door and part of the wall that had once held it in place flew off with a sound that seemed like doomsday in itself.

The thought of "I guess it stopped bothering with the handle." Had time to pass through both men's brains before they were both hit by a large amount of flying wood, apparently they did doors the proper old-fashioned way in Paris, at least they had done it that way with this particular door.


"A door?"

The opponent was puzzled, intrigued but let no part of his bewilderment show in any way.

"No, of course not." Zagan replied. "The door is but the prelude to the end of this game."

"Oh, I see." The adversary replied with an amused laugh in his voice that Zagan disliked a lot.


The room in Paris was to put things mildly a mess, two men destined to be enemies at Friction lay on the floor underneath the debris left of a door that had met a strange end at the feet of some kind of being that had had Dante's and Lupelli's attention since they had both heard it's foot steps. They were at this point in time both unconscious and unaware of the monstrous being that slowly walked over to their position.

Both Dante and Lupelli were out cold from the door's impact and had no idea that the strange and enormous monster bowed down and grabbed the door and with as much consideration as they themselves would show a sheet of paper flung it away so it hit a wall with a horrid sound. The creature bowed down and looked at the men it had knocked out without actually trying with its three pairs of eyes, eyes that had at one point all shone with the glare of intelligence and wit, and eyes that had at a point belonged to three highly intelligent men.

The creature bowed down and looked closer at the unconscious men, both faces caused a reaction that was sure the three faces that made up this monster's head all knew then men that lay knocked out on the dirty floor.

The being that somehow displayed less intelligence then each of its original minds looked at Lupelli first, its strange jaws tried to speak but all that came out was a snarl that sounded very little like "Lupelli". This sound caused the being pain, that much was obvious as it grabbed a part of the wall that had landed nearby and flung it in the same direction it had flung the door not long ago.

After having display it's frustration it looked at the other man, the features caused a reaction more obvious then Lupelli's face had. The pale skin, the blonde almost white hair and the red eyes all evoked memories that at least one of the "heads" remembered with anger and hurt. In rage it got control over the arms that were made up of sawn together arms and grabbed Dante by the head with its fifteen fingered hand and lifted him up.

As Dante's weight was lifted, Lupelli was disturbed and awoke slowly. As his eyes began to get comfortable with the light he saw a creature that made his skin crawl, there above him stood a being that was at least 10 feet tall, and that seemed to be made up of the parts of other men, he saw a head that was made up of three heads, the arms had it seemed three parts each and fifteen fingers, and it's legs were created the same way. Lupelli looked up at the faces while attempting to avoid getting the creature's attention and his face froze...He knew the men who had been sawn together to form this creature.

On his end, having his head grabbed hadn't been much enough to shake Jason Dante's cobwebs, but having his skull locked in the grip of a monster seemed to do the trick and he slowly woke up to find the worst horror a sane man could imagine while sober . Dante found himself staring into the eyes of a man he knew very well, a man he had teamed with and held the tag titles with. He looked at the monster and through his lips there passed a name that was spoken with a great degree of surprise and bewilderment.

"Shadow?"

The creature's face...one of them at least changed its expression for a moment and it took on a pained look that had a look of begging in it, begging not to be given mercy but to finally be given death. In a drawl that was barely understandable it spoke.

"Kieelll mieee!" It wailed in a voice that was very much unlike the Shadow Dante had at one point teamed with.

Dante stared at the strange construct as it held him in its strange hand and for some reason he understood exactly what it just had said. The being he had once known and teamed with had asked him to kill him.

It...this being is and not a person at all.

Slowly Dante began to realize that even though Shadow's face had just asked him to kill it he actually had no way to actually do that, he wasn't at this point armed. Even though the monster's grip made it impossible for him to change the way he was looking much he saw his sword laying on the ground and few meters away.

Jason Dante wasn't the kind to panic easily; he thought panic was only needed when the situation was at its direst.

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your point of view) for him the situation he was in was grim. One face had it seemed at least a slightly positive outlook, the other that he saw, he already knew didn't have that kind of outlook. That face had once belonged to Desean Blackwell.


The mood in the darkened room in which the strange men played their game had it seemed changed a great deal, Zagan's opponent wasn't as keen on laughing off his opponent's tricks anymore, his face while hid from sight was now concerned.

Zagan smirked and spoke.

"Confidence is a pricy commodity my dear opponent" he said while adding attitude to his smirk.

The opponent said nothing in reply and this made Zagan's position even better and more enjoyable.

Zagan smiled again and moved his piece on the board.


Lupelli watched as the monster held his opponent by the head and seemed to be debating internally whether to kill him or toy with him. It seemed that Lupelli had been spared the wrath of this strange being for now and was saved for later, the feeling of being the second course on this monster's meal made Lupelli feel angry and disgusted to say the least. He continued to make an effort to remain still and to avoid having the monster get him, but something happened that made this much more difficult, something that made him feel as if he was a traitor by laying low.

That thing was a voice...

...A familiar voice whispering...

...A voice he had tried to ignore since they got here to this place...

It was Jason Dante's voice.
"Lupelli?" Dante asked.

No answer.

"Lupelli?"

Still nothing from the hitman.

Dante's voice was getting both irate and desperate.

"Lupelli?!" Now he wasn't whispering anymore, he half screamed it.

That scream too Lupelli out of his own ego. He got to his feet causing the third head of the monster to notice him, with one snarl, one look and one bullet Anthony Lupelli ended the half-living existence of the third part of the monster that had attacked them, his bullet had ended the last pained breath of the Titanium Insomniac. He looked at the remaining two heads that seemed focused on Dante and seemed to debate the albino's future. It took Lupelli less then a second to realize why Dante wasn't cutting himself free and to start looking for Dante's blade.

He found it and threw it to Dante who caught it right away. The pale champion set out a last regard in the form of a apologetic look and then cut himself free by cutting off the hands that held him. A bit groggy and disoriented, Dante landed on his feet. He stood there prepared for the monster to react as the pain the cut off hands had caused was considerable.

As the monster struggled with his pain, Dante was joined by Lupelli. Neither man said anything, they just nodded and attacked.

Lupelli added his strength by shooting the monster where he knew it would hurt it the most and Dante did roughly the same thing but with his sword. They created a morbid dance that caused the confused and irate monster to lash out as pain became its entire world. One swoop of its remaining hand made the wall collapse and exposed the room to the dirty and still Paris air.

Dante drew his blade across the back of the hideous beings back drawing the disgusting liquid it seemed to have instead of blood and causing the creature to scream in pain. As Dante backed off, Lupelli left his mark by charging the tall creature and blasting it with a big boot to the chest that made it stagger backwards. Lupelli backed off and shoot Dante a look. The albino shot him one back and they both nodded, Dante smirked and then they both charged.

Dante combined clumsy cuts with his sword with punches that had no more effect then letting the champion vent his built up anger. Lupelli used his hands and feet to great effect as they combined with Dante's attack managed to make the monster back towards the hole in the wall itself had created a few minutes ago. Inch by inch they made the monster retreat towards its own destructive effort. They worked as individuals but their collective work made progress and caused an effect they both wanted.

As Dante cut and punched the monster he felt a strange irritation build up in him, he thought back to the debut of the NHFC, he remembered the resistance from Infinity in general and Desean Blackwell in particular and a rage he couldn't control built up inside. It took him a few seconds to make the decision, but when he had decided it was final and he carried the action out right away.

One quick pulling back of his right arm...

One Quick stab forward...

And it was done; now there was only the tortured face of Shadow, with his mask in tatters left on the monster's face.

Lupelli barely noticed Dante's enraged and vindictive attack against "Desean's" face; he simply kept firing away his punches and kicks at the monster.

Lupelli and Dante both mustered a combined attack that brought the monster to the edge of the hole it had created in the wall; the both paused, took a deep breath and fire away their final attack.

The monster took a final step back and found nothing but air there, Shadow's mangled face sent away a final thankful look of relief before he tumbled backwards from the building and fell to his final and liberating death.

Both Lupelli and Dante waited for the thud that signified the end of the monster and once they had heard it they both slumped down both tired and worn.

"This place has to be hell...there is no other way." Lupelli said after a few minutes of catching his breath.

"No, this isn't hell." Dante replied with his deep breaths making him sound more tired then he actually was.

"How do you know?" Lupelli asked, already wishing that he hadn't done that.

"I know...trust me Lupelli...I know." Dante replied already sounding fresh again.

Lupelli smirked a joyless smile and replied "Ok, I'll do that for now.".

Dante laughed a short joyless laugh and said "Good...".


Silence, not a single sound was heard in the chamber, Zagan was quiet as he was still shocked over having watched the monstrosity he had made be defeated...by two...humans.

His opponent on the other hand was feeling better it seemed, his confident laugh was back as he taunted Zagan for the loss. Zagan said nothing; he simply looked at the board and made a new move without a word.

Zagan's opponent stopped laughing and focused on the board again.


"So if it isn't hell, what is this place?"
"I have no idea at all."

"Likely..."

"Well yeah it's true." Dante said with an edge Lupelli had not heard since this all began in his voice.

"Well, you have this reputation Dante, people still call you one weird guy it's unlikely that you have no idea is what I mean."

"I can imagine that..."Dante replied coldly.

They had been walking for about half an hour at this point and they had at this point reached a bridge crossing the Seine. They took a short pause in their journey to nowhere and sat down.

"One thing I don't get about you Lupelli "Dante began "is why you keep being obsessed by what this place is."

Lupelli looked at his opponent and shrugged.

"I hope finding out what this place is will help us get out of here...I have no intention to spend the rest of my life in this hellhole version of Paris."

Dante laughed...a real drawn out laugh that got the Italian hitman annoyed to the point of him getting up walking over to Dante and pulling the albino to his feet by grabbing his shirt.

"Is this funny? What is the big joke I don't get here Dante? Care to fill me in funny man?"

Dante wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at the man who was holding on to his shirt. He looked at Lupelli with a mixture or disappointment and sadness.

"Lupelli, hasn't it dawned on you? This may be the real Paris? It's damn fucking likely that there is no "getting out of here"."

Lupelli let go of Dante's shirt and looked at him.

"Yes...yes it has." He replied silently.

Dante nodded as they both started walking across the bridge again. As they took their first steps, something seemed to happen a few kilometres away. A strange orange light began to shine. Lupelli looked at the light and then at his enemy and for the time being ally Dante looked as puzzled by the light as Lupelli was.

Nether man had any idea what the light was but they both knew what the place from which it seemed to originate was.

They both knew what lay in that direction.

The Louvre Museum.