And then... darkness

[Nathan]

The sun is setting over Las Vegas, the city in its typical hustle and bustle as the night life slowly takes over the streets. But a whole different kind of night life is emerging within the desert that surrounds the city. Within the desolate wastelands where few dare to tread. There are those few who feel at home in such a place and indeed, as the darkness spreads across the land, a flickering fire can be seen in the far distance. Snakes slither slowly between the rocks in search of an easy meal or a hole to sleep the night away. The creatures of the desert slowly emerge yet they stay clear of the campfire. The flames reach up into the night sky, crackling softly as it slowly eats away the old dried wood it was fed. Sitting on a rock beside the fire is none other than Cactus Jack. His elbows rest on his knees, his back hunched as he leans forward, looking into the dancing flames before him.

“I have been called many things over many years, but selfish has never been one of them. Most of you already know who I am based on the exploits of my past. But to judge a man on his past is to disregard him in the present and turn a blind eye to his future. The past may remind us where we have been but it is not a place in which we should live. I think if anyone would know that lesson by heart it would have been you, Bray.”

He pauses, letting the silence of the desert wrap around him for a few moments.

“I am not responsible for the failures of your friends. I am not responsible for their bruises and broken bones. I claim no glory in their attempted emulation of the man that I have been inside that ring. Why? Because I do not lead them, Bray. If they are your people than the only one who can be held accountable for their misfortunes is you. Of course, a true leader wouldn’t have to be told such things. A true leader is someone who shares in both the triumphs and failures of the ones he leads. That is the kind of leader that I am, and I am smart enough to lead a small band of brothers, the likes of which have never been paralleled before.”

As he speaks, three dark figures begin to emerge from the dark desert around him. They all stop just out of reach of the light from the fire, leaving themselves in nothing more than shadowy silhouettes.

“There comes a time when every man is pushed beyond his breaking point. It happens without fail time and time again. But what do you do when the man you face has stepped beyond that place and becomes the monster that he has within? That is who I am, Bray. I am the one who doesn’t give a damn. I am the one who is willing to lay it all on the line. I readily gamble with my life and I hold no reservations about playing with yours as well. I will take you to your limit, bring you to the edge of your sanity and make you look off into the abyss that is the cage in which your demon lives and you will be faced with two choices then, Bray. You can do as I have done and become the beast, or you can let it consume you. The choice is yours alone, I can only but show you the way.”

Cactus Jack reaches down, scooping up a handful of sand and letting it slowly sift through his fingers. When there is only a little left, he throws it onto the fire and the flames leap high into the air with a mighty roar.

“You want to preach to me about God and the Devil as if you carry some kind of insight. You choose to believe that it all boils down to a simple differing of views between the two. The truth is, I don’t care about your thoughts on some archaic religion. There is only one temple that I worship at, there is only one truth that is known throughout this land. At Warfare I will show you the truth and let you walk into the light. For Foley is God, and you may kneel at my alter.”

He drops his head as he begins to let out a deep chuckle, his long hair falling over his face. As his laughter gets louder, the flames of the fire grow and grow. He is joined by the shadowed three, all laughing as the fire erupts into a blazing fireball and then… darkness.