-The unpredictable rains only help the speed of the vehicle, raging out of the metropolis and towards less sparse regions. The sound of the thunderstorm outside hasn?t invaded the interior of the car, but cigarette smoke is thick inside, while the driver coughs, his eyes blood red but resolutely he holds onto the wheel haggard with pain. Other cars are forced to move out of the way as he slides and twists around to go faster and faster towards the horizon. On the intersection, he turns a sharp corner and slows the car?
In the haze, can be made out a compound some three hundred meters away, its pike gates staring menacingly at the countryside. He drives towards the gate, screeching the car to a halt and clicking the door open, grabbing his jacket. He searches inside the jacket, finding a silver hawk-like badge and kisses it, closing his eyes and then proceeding towards the gate in between the storm.
Little does he notice that another car is parked not too far away, a black Chevy, rusted and beaten down. Stomping towards the gate he looks inside the compound, not a soul in sight. Pulling out a bunch of keys from his jeans pocket, he unlocks the gate and pushes it open, an irritating screech is drowned out by the boom of lightning.
It?s even darker inside the compound; a large old building on the left side casts a menacing glare across the infinite mounds lined up in the area. Tobias Burden glances from side to side, making sure nobody is around to cause problems. The Heartless One carefully walks towards the mounds, his direction already set to one in the far left quadrant of the burial grounds. He arrives at one particular gravestone which reads:
? HERE LIES CRAVEN BURDEN
1975-2001
FOREVER BRAVE?
-A small tear drops from his eyes, not visible as the rain pours over his jacket, his boots covered in mud. Burden kneels beside the grave, placing the silver hawk in front of it, watching without expression. A perverse calmness starts to seep in?but he doesn?t even notice?-
Voice: So nice of you to join us?
-His muscles clench, right hand going to the knife tucked behind the jeans pocket. Tobias sharply turns around and sees a figure standing in front of him, draped in a black trench coat, a gleam of silver on the neck.-
Tobias: I swear to god I----
Voice: I?m sure you will.
-Burden sees the calmness in the voice and releases the hold on the knife, sparing a glance at the silver hawk before standing back up and facing up to the figure.-
Tobias: You?ve got guts coming here Salazar. When I said I?d kill you? I meant it, and I have no hesitation.
-The Heartless One stares a hole through Salazar, who stands there, smiling wolfishly back at Tobias?-
Salazar: You don?t think I came prepared? I did Burden?but it would be too poetic to bury you where your brother was buried too. I don?t fulfill destiny, I create?in your case you have been spared.
Tobias: You?re getting close to the time the bells toll Salazar?and there is nothing to spare you.
Salazar: I am?but I?d rather go to my grave having journeyed to Eden and you seem continuously clash on that objective?you know what awaits then don?t you?
Tobias: Enlighten me?I dare you.
-The Forsaken loses the smile, giving a dangerous glare at Tobias who stares back unperturbed, Salazar almost lunges but controls himself before turning his back on Burden.-
Salazar: (Whispering) These bastards in the federation know what they?re doing. Bringing me to team with you?that?s never going to work, I?d rather mutilate your body than give a damn about Section 8 and their little Sesame Street puppet game.
-Burden walks up to Salazar, refraining from choking out his nemesis.-
Tobias: The only reason I am even going to show up at Mass Khaos is to damage all of my potential threats and that includes you?I truly hope you aren?t forsaken enough to think I?ll make a truce with you.
Salazar: Don?t get too imaginative.
Tobias: Why not? that's your fucking thing, isn't it? Playing, make-believing, using your goddamn imagination? Tell me I'm wrong...
-Venom fills the Forsaken One's gaze.-
Salazar: You're wro-
Tobias: Fuck you, Salazar, fuck you and your pathetic, puny little wannabe mindgames, I'm not wrong and we both know it. It's just that something's so fundamentally fucked in your head and you just refuse to admit it!
-Much to the Heartless One's shock, Salazar turns his back to him and puts his arms behind his head, lacing his fingers together.-
Salazar: Then, seeing what a sober individual you are Toby, go ahead, use your common sense and MAKE me admit it, make me see the errors of my ways and make me see that my Dark Eden is fake. Go ahead, kill me, just like those bikers did to your brother, poor, poor Craven.
-At that Tobias becomes a blur as he slides his right leg in between Salazar's, hooking his right leg, and attempts to shove him forward, The Forsaken One is quick though and retrieves a knife of his own in the blink of an eye, he turns to hold steel up to the larynx of his adversary, and ironically, his soon to be partner. Tobias has his own blade levelled much the same way.-
Tobias: If I kill you, here and now, you Dark Eden is gone, and your illusion turns to dust...
Salazar: As does your chance at immortality, no?
Tobias: If there is such a thing as the spirit world, I think my soul could content itself with the denial of your own goals...
Salazar: ... But would your son's?
-In a flash both men grasp there opponents' knife with their free hand, eventually throwing each other away.-
Tobias: Right now I'm barely tolerating the fact that you even showed up here, but if you mention my fucking son one more time I'll-
Salazar: What? You'll what? The kid is dead and you're the one who's dwelling on it and-
Tobias: You don't know shit Sal. And speaking of showing up here, WHY the fuck are you here?
-At that, a smirk covers Salazar's face.-
Salazar: Finally, a piece of this conversation that matters... more about Mass Kha-
Tobias: I've told you all I'm goin' to say about it Sal, I ain't lookin' to win and walk around celebrating and talkin' about some bullshit fantasy land with you, I ain't cooperatin' with ya', I'm not even sure if I should step between the ropes with you to meet our opponents, I'm goin' in there to hurt people, all my potential opponents at Megabowl, you came here for something else... how the fuck did you find this place anyways... I told everyone I was an only child...
-At this Salazar laughs, and begins pacing around the Heartless One slowly, like a cat playing with a mouse.-
Salazar: All this time you thought you were so secretive, eh? You're still a part of the system Tobias, just a mere pond in humanity, not willing to fight against it like I do. And since you're part of the system, you're therefore easy to learn about... all you have to know is where to look...
-Salazar is now standing right behind Tobias, his voice a furious whisper.-
Salazar: Tobias Felix Burden... father Dave Burden and mother Julia Smythe, older brother Craven, deceased at twenty six, coincidentally what you are right now, no? That'll make it so much more fulfilling when I kill you next month...
-Burden's body is nearly shaking with rage but he continues to reign it in... the sparse light casts dark shadown across his face as Salazar continues speaking...-
Salazar: Grew up in east LA, earned high school diploma, apparently very good in English and physical education, including being the captain of the lacrosse team. Oh... and does the name Tony ring a bell?
-Tobias turns around in a flurry of movement as the Forsaken One almost leaps back out of striking range, a sick smile playing across his face.-
Salazar: Heh... apparently you do-
Tobias: The fuck do you know about Tony?
Salazar: Oh... not much, he's been in the Keith Garret center for abused children a LOT, got tossed out of there at sixteen and hasn't been heard that much from except from the odd police report, the kid's a whackj-
Tobias: Shut the fuck and step outside, NOW!
-The heavier man stalks angrily forward, Salazar retreating with each step until they're both once again standing out in underneath the grey sky.-
Tobias: You've pushed my fuckin' patience Sal, if you kill me so be it but I'm gonna gut you-
Salazar: With what knife?
-The question is rhetorical, as just as he says it he produces two knives, one his own, and one Tobias', apparently having pilfered the second blade away from him while he mocked him...-
Salazar: This knife...?
-The grin on his face grows ever wider as he holds the blade in front of his face, examining it, Tobias stands, unnarmed, but ready to attempt to fight back should Salazar feel the need to put an end to him right then and there...-
Tobias: You're a coward if you kill me here Sal...
Salazar: I won't need a knife to end you, fool-
Tobias: Ha... considering the last time we met I knocked you out.
-The Forsaken One grimaces at the mention of his New Era loss... and gives his opponent a dark look past the silver of the blade.-
Salazar: ... you won't be able to next time...
-At this a smug grin covers Tobias' face.-
Tobias: Oh no? And why not?
-To Burden's shock, the other man grins back, Salazar turns and flings Tobias' knife into the ground, blade meets dirt and the hilt stands proudly in the air, almost as if it were some sort of sick memorial. The Forsaken One turns and begins to walks away, back to his truck which is parked at the side of the rode... he calls out behins him as he leaves.-
Salazar: Because you've found your heart again...
-The Heartless One bends over to retrieve his knife and slips it into his back pocket... he lifts up a rock off the ground while he's down there and stares at it absently... he hears the sound of Salazar's truck kicking back... all of a sudden a look of pure frustration and rage fill his eyes and he turns and throws the rock at the Forsaken One's retreating trucking... it smashes clean through the back window... but yet, the truck does not slow, and continues driving away, leaving one man alone with his thoughts...-